Paris Ford opts out of the remainder of the season
Pitt junior safety Paris Ford has decided to opt out of the remaining four games in the 2020 season, sources confirmed to Panther-Lair.com. Alan Saunders of Pittsburgh Sports Now broke the story first earlier this morning. Ford, a Pittsburgh native, will now focus on getting ready for the NFL Draft in spring.
Pat Narduzzi addressed Ford’s move during his weekly press conference.
“As you guys know already, Paris Ford has decided to move on to the next chapter of his life,” he said. “Paris is a tremendous football player, a tremendous person, a guy that we’ve got a lot of respect for and we appreciate all the efforts he's put in here in his really three and a half, four years and really for the six years we've known him through the whole recruiting process. We wish him all the best in his endeavors as he moves on through this football world and the rest of his life.“
Ford finishes the season with a team-high 45 tackles and three interceptions in seven games. He had flirted with the idea of turning pro last season, but opted to return to school to help improve his draft stock, and to help Pitt contend for an ACC Championship.
Building off of last year's reputation, Ford earned numerous preseason accolades heading into this season. He was on the watch lists for the Chuck Bednarik, Jim Thorpe, and Broco Nugurski awards. Ford was all named to multiple preseason all-American lists as well.
The season started strong for the former Steel Valley High School star. He brought down an interception in each of Pitt's first two games, and helped the team get off to a strong 3-0 start. The Pitt season hast taken a big turn, however. The Panthers have now lost four-straight games, including a 45-3 setback to Notre Dame on national TV last week.
Ford, along with defensive linemen Jaylen Twyman and Patrick Jones all decided on returning to school following successful individual 2019 seasons. Twyman had a change of heart in August, and opted out at the beginning of Fall camp and has already begun his preparation for the NFL Draft.
Ford was a highly decorated recruit for Pat Narduzzi. He finished as the 51st ranked prospect in the Class of 2017 according to Rivals.com. He was also considered the fifth-best safety prospect in the class and third highest recruit in Pennsylvania.
Ford did not make it to Pitt until after fall camp had started in 2017. He redshirted and did not see the field at all that season. In 2018, Ford was mostly used as a special teams player and was playing cornerback. That all changed in 2019 when things started to click for Ford. He led Pitt with 97 tackles and three interceptions. He was named to first-team All-ACC.
Ford finishes his Pitt career with 147 tackles, six interceptions, 20 passes defended, three forced fumbles, and six tackles for loss.