Trace Ford breaks down how he has transitioned to Oklahoma defense

Trace Ford didn’t have to travel far after transferring to Oklahoma this offseason. The defensive end spent the first four years of his college career at rival Oklahoma State before deciding to join the Crimson and Cream in 2023.

Ford admitted the transition from Cowboy to Sooner was a bit strange for him at first. But with a couple weeks of spring practice now behind him, he feels right at home with his new teammates.

“It feels normal,” he said. “The first couple of weeks it was definitely weird. I didn’t really talk to anybody. I was kind of introverted, staying away. But everyone’s welcomed me with open arms and everyone is really nice. Asks to hang out all the time. Everyone’s a big family here, so it’s been really nice. The culture is really great.”

An Edmond native, Ford did not receive an offer from OU out of high school and thus opted to head to Stillwater. He immediately made an impact with the Cowboys to win Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2019 before following it up with All-Big 12 honorable mention in 2020.

Ford totaled 51 tackles (8.5 for loss) 7.5 sacks and three forced fumbles over his first two seasons. However, he suffered a torn ACL in the season finale of 2020 that caused him to miss all of the next year. He returned in 2022 to play nine games before again suffering another injury.

Now healthy, Ford is turning his focus to learning a new system under Sooners coach Brent Venables. It’s been a learning process, but he’s come eager to put in the work.

“I’ve been doing a lot of extra stuff with just the film and weight room and trying to stay on top of everything,” he said. “So it’s been really smooth, honestly.”

Trace Ford will have a chance to make an impact right away for an Oklahoma defense that struggled in Venables’ first season. The Sooners ranked eighth in the Big 12 in points allowed per game (30.0) and ninth in yards allowed per game (461.0). They ended with a 6-7 record for their first losing season since 1998.

That in mind, 2023 represents a big opportunity to Ford and the rest of the defense to turn things around. Although he still considers himself to be going through the learning process, he added that he has made big strides in getting the system down since the start of the spring.

“It’s a whole new defense,” Ford said. “I need to know both sides of the ball right now so it’s just a lot more learning. Just a learning curve I have to get through and that’s what I’m doing right now. I think last week I finally started picking everything up. Starting to get slowed down on the field. It’s been a blast so far.”

Ford will get to show off what he has learned when the Sooners host their spring game on April 22.