Four-star DE Tyson Ford on why he’s so solid with Notre Dame
On Nov. 28, just one day after Notre Dame defeated Stanford 45-14, St. Louis John Burroughs class of 2022 defensive end and Fighting Irish commit Tyson Ford hosted defensive line coach Mike Elston and defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman in his home.
“It was great seeing them for the home visit — having them in St. Louis and talking to them face to face,” Ford said. “I hadn’t seen them since my official visit [in June]. It was a good time to bond with them some more.”
That home visit took place just 11 days ago, but it seems like an eternity has transpired since then with all that’s happened in the world of Notre Dame football. The day after the home visit, Brian Kelly left Notre Dame for LSU, and a few days after that, news broke that Freeman would be named the Fighting Irish’s next head coach.
“I was surprised, but I wasn’t hurt about it,” Ford said of the Kelly news. “I knew I wanted to be at Notre Dame no matter if Coach Kelly was the coach or not. I’m happy that the coaches decided to stay, especially Coach Elston and Coach Freeman. They’ll be able to lead this team.
“I didn’t want to see them go anywhere. I love Coach Elston; I’m happy he’s staying as the defensive line coach. I really want to learn a lot from him. It’s a blessing that I’ll be able to play under them.”
During the few days of limbo between Kelly’s departure and Freeman’s promotion, Ford could’ve looked strongly at other schools, but his plan was always to remain true with Notre Dame, no matter who the new coach would be.
“I knew that Notre Dame would figure it out,” he explained. “They wouldn’t hire an incompetent coach. I didn’t worry about it. The only concern was the other recruits and making sure we stayed together. And everything has turned out well. We’re building our bond.”
Notre Dame has had just one decommitment since the Kelly news broke. Naples (Fla.) High cornerback Devin Moore opened things up, which was rumored to happen regardless. Other major programs with coaching changes have seen waves of decommitments. But Notre Dame’s class has stayed strong.
“We rallied around each other,” Ford said. “There’s no other place like Notre Dame with its combination of academics and athletics. It’s a great place to be.”
Nearly all of Notre Dame’s class of 2022 commitments will be on campus this weekend, including Ford. It will be a great opportunity for him to get to know his future teammates.
“I’ve only met Jaylen Sneed. I’ve been in contact with all of the other guys, but Jaylen is the only one I’ve met,” he said.
Rivals ranks Ford as the nation’s No. 9 strong-side defensive end and No. 104 overall player. He picked Notre Dame over Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas and others back in January.
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