Kevin Ford, a four-star edge defender, is weighing his options to kick off his senior season. After playing in the Under Armor All-America game this past January, the kid has racked up a whopping 20 scholarship offers on his table. But he is not rushing things. Ford is closely monitoring the situation and plans to schedule visits within the next two to three months. He still has time to go brick by brick and study what suits him the best and what’s not to avoid multiple short-spanned stints in the future.

While the final destination is farther than you can see with the telescope, Ford is just curling things up, and it’s not good news for Colorado Buffs and a chunk of his other suitors.

Kevin Ford makes the job of his recruitment tracker easier with a strong hint

The latest intel from ON3 suggested that SEC is heating up in a battle to land the standout edge rusher, and not without getting the nod from the man himself. Yes, Kevin Ford is specifically focusing more on the Southeastern Conference, widely known for their toughest schedule on the mix. “Everyone is still in it, and I have not narrowed anything down yet, but Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma are definitely some of the contenders,” the No. 12 edge rusher in the 2026 recruiting class tried to justify his inclination in an attempt to not give in to things this early. But from his list of choices, it’s pretty out there.

Well, the Texas kid wasn’t lying when he said that he is still looking at schools other than the ones mentioned above. Apart from the upcoming scheduled visits to Alabama, Oklahoma, LSU, and Texas A&M, he is keeping the Gators, the Buffs, and the Auburn Tigers on the go-to list as well. He has also shown a bit of interest in Lincoln Riley’s USC. Thanks to his past California tie. He has been a fan of the Rams since his childhood and has a huge respect for coach Eric Henderson.

So far, his recruitment drama seems like a baffling rat race. But you can’t blame the coaches for waiting with bated breath for a sign. I mean, just look at the stupendous kid and his solid stats. This past season as a junior, Ford compiled an impressive 57 total tackles, 16 TFL, and 7.0 sacks. He has also forced a safety and had two pass deflections and a fumble recovery. His arch-running instincts and corresponding functional athleticism as a pass-rusher are a treat to the eyes of the recruiters.

However, in case you wonder who among the SEC giants is gaining an edge against the others? It’s between two schools so far.

Two SEC schools are holding the key in Ford’s ongoing recruiting drama

Chad Simmons of On3 reported that four-star edge rusher Kevin “KJ” Ford has scheduled just two official visits so far for this summer: Oklahoma and Alabama. Ford will visit Alabama on May 30 and then Norman on June 20. The two visits are arrayed pretty close in such a way that both the schools can pose a competitive analysis in the DL’s head and help him make the decisions more minutely.

Ford has visited the Sooners several times in the past and watched them play against monstrous teams with grace. He also attended their Junior Day event at the end of the last month. Venables and his staff took things a bit higher in their favor, paying him a personal visit to Texas a few days back. The Sooners have been among the early suitors who extended the offer. Shortly after, the Tide followed suit. The same day Ford posted some snaps with the OU coaches, he announced the offer from Alabama. Is he just purposefully making things competitive between the two SEC houses, or is it just another co-incident around the globe?

Regardless, it will be fun to see him run the rest of the course of the recruiting race and finally land at one of the big programs.