Jason Ford, the 5-foot-10, 215-pound running back from Althoff Catholic High School in Belleville, Ill., continues to look hardest in the Midwest, close to home.
“I have ten offers right now,” said Scout.com's No. 16 prospect in the Midwest. “Boston College and Northern Illinois are the latest. I got the offer from Northern Illinois this week. My top four right now are Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. They are all even.
"I’m still finding out about the other schools. Once I know more, I’m going to narrow things down, hopefully by next week.
“I really would like to stay around here," Ford said. "The furthest I’d like to go is about 6-8 hours away. But if the right situation came up, I would consider it, no matter how far."
Other important factors for Ford are tradition and depth. “I want to go somewhere that I can play early. I don’t want to wait around until I’m a junior before I get on the field.
“Tradition is a big thing too,” Ford said. “I want to go to a school that has a history of winning, somewhere I know I’ll be able to come in and play with the best.
“Illinois is still up there for me,” he said. “I know I’d have a chance to play early there. I’ve been there a few times and really got along great with the coaches. Coach (Reggie) Mitchell (assistant head coach/running backs) and Coach (Jim) Pry (inside receivers) are really great. I talk to them a lot.
“Iowa is like Illinois in that I could play early,” he said. “They are short on running backs and it would be an ideal opportunity for me to go into. Iowa is such a great team with a great tradition for winning. I went to their junior day in March and I really like the whole environment there. It’s a college town with a real family feel to it. Everyone was so nice.
“I really like Minnesota too,” Ford said. “I haven’t been there yet, but I’m hoping to take an official visit there this summer. I’ve talked to Coach (Tim) Brewster a few times. He’s a really good person and a great coach. He said I could come in there and compete early too.
“I really like Wisconsin because of their strength and conditioning program,” he said. “I went to their junior day in February and was really impressed with the whole environment there. It’s electric. They are sort of deep at running back, so I probably would have to sit out a year, but they have such good strength and conditioning program, I wouldn’t mind. Guys from the NFL come and work out there.”
Ford, who claims to run a 4.4 forty, said he is hoping to take his official visits over the summer. “I know I'm going to take officials to Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin for sure. I’m not sure about the other two yet. I want to try to make my decision before the season starts, so I can concentrate on my grades and my season.”
Ford reports a 2.0 GPA and a 16 ACT.