COLUMBUS, Ohio — Four-star 2026 edge rusher KJ Ford committed to Florida on Friday night, choosing the Gators over Ohio State, Alabama and Texas A&M.
Ford is the No. 116 overall prospect and No. 15 edge rusher in the 247Sports composite rankings. He’s also the No. 17 player in Texas. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound edge rusher is from Duncanville, Texas.
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He received an offer from Ohio State on March 13, and then took his official visit to Columbus on June 20. He took the visit with his high school teammate Landon Barnes, but the Buckeyes and defensive line coach Larry Johnson weren’t able to land either of them.
Per 247Sports, Ohio State has offered 21 edge rushers in the class, and now only two remain uncommitted, Jake Kreul and Anthony Jones. The Buckeyes appear to be out of the running for both of them.
Four-star edge rusher Khary Wilder, the No. 246 overall prospect and No. 27 edge in the class, is the lone defensive end the Buckeyes have committed.
Ohio State has four defensive linemen committed in total with Damari Simeon, Cameron Brickle and Jamir Perez joining Wilder. But the lack of depth at edge rusher is becoming a glaring issue in the 2026 class.
