The Kansas State Wildcats secured a high-octane commitment from the three-star cornerback Brandon Ford in the class of 2026 back in late October last year. But given the volatile trend of the NIL money and menacing competition, the word commitment sounds like a joke. Unless and until things are inked in pen and paper, you can never be sure of a recruit staying in the house. Ford, a junior at Crowley High School in Texas, made his decision about the Wildcats following an unofficial visit to the Sunflower Showdown, where they secured an impressive 29-27 victory over Kansas.
He chose K-State from a pile of Big 12 offers, including Houston, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, SMU, etc. But just within a month, it seems something has changed. Ford didn’t de-commit from K-State, but he’s not sleeping on an in-state school, considering staying closer to home is always a priority for young college athletes. Which team? Well, let’s hear from the young man himself.
”Texas Tech has the real chance of swaying my commitment,” Brandon Ford said, ”Texas Tech’s coaching staffs really stand out to me. Coach McGuire has been recruiting me since my freshman year.’‘ Ford is ranked 657th out of the top 2026 college recruits. He is 51st among cornerbacks and 81st in the state of Texas. In his high school years, the kid mounted 21 tackles, three interceptions, and nine pass deflections. Being flabbergasted by the numbers, Nebraska and Matt Rhule have also handed him an offer, but as of now, they are outside the court.
He oozes out volume and depth inside and outside the field. Apart from the ability to be a bulldozer to the offensive running plays, Brandon Ford possesses a great amount of football IQ that shines out in almost every reflective interview. Kansas State’s cornerback coach, Van Malone, has pursued him for a long time. As he had already coached Ford’s uncle Chris while at the University of Tulsa, it became easier for him to direct Ford’s mind in Kansas State’s favor.
Despite Ford’s statement about Texas Tech, ON3 is giving the Wildcats a 95% chance of seeing through this commitment in 2026. However, there’s some smoke out there! The Red Raiders emerged out of nowhere in the recruitment saga of the three-star CB. However, McGuire has to utilize a personal tie to convince him to join the force.
Brandon Ford has a soft spot for the Red Raiders
Ford has always been fond of Texas Tech, and it’s nothing new for him to take a closer look at what his career can look like with the Red Raiders. Back in December 2023, Brandon Ford announced his offer from Texas Tech. The Red Raiders were his seventh offer overall and first in-state Power 5 offer. He attended the Junior Day of Texas in January 2024 and was blown away by coach Marcel Yates’ wordy coaching lesson. The wisdom, the vision, was too much for him to ignore.
”I liked coach (Marcel) Yates’ presentation a lot. He talked about the defense, how they play, and what he expects us to do. I liked coach McGuire and what Texas Tech is gonna look like in the future. I liked how he worded it,” the kid said on his firsthand experience of the Junior Day visit in Lubbock.
Ford prioritized staying in-state over the outside offers and also considered Texas State as a decent option. He had a private camp visit to the school and developed a good rapport with the coaches. However, for now, the heat is rising between the two teams: Kansas State and Texas Tech.
It will be interesting to see if Joey McGuire really can get his 2026 defensive asset or has to let him go to the rival’s court.
The post In-State Pursuit Intensifies 3-Star Brandon Ford’s Recruitment Leaving Matt Rhule’s Nebraska in the Dust appeared first on EssentiallySports.