Magnolia junior guard Derrian Ford is no stranger to recruiting, but on June 15 things changed and he calls the experience surreal.
That was the first day college coaches could make direct contact with 2022 prospects via Twitter or phone calls. Before the date, coaches had to request a recruit’s high school or AAU coach to relay information to the prospect.
Ford, 6-4, 190 pounds, has more than 20 scholarship offers from the University of Arkansas, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Missouri, Texas A&M, Kansas, Vanderbilt, Baylor, Oklahoma State, TCU and others.
He gets about six calls and about 30 direct messages on Twitter from college coaches each week.
“It’s just been lot of talking with college coaches and building bond with different colleges,” Ford said.
Replying back to the coaches is time consuming, but Ford isn’t complaining.
“It’s a lot of work, but I’m loving it,” Ford said. “I always dreamed about it, talking to a lot of coaches and now it’s really happening.”
Ford led the Panthers to the Class 4A state title as a freshman while being named the MVP of the championship game. He was named the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Arkansas Preps Underclassman of the Year after averaging 19 points and 6 rebounds.
He was set to try for a second consecutive title in March, but Magnolia was declared co-state champions with Mills after the state tournament was postponed and then canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
He made second-team Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Arkansas Preps and was the only underclassman on the first two teams after averaging 18 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists as a sophomore.
Talking to coaches he usually sees on television has gotten his attention.
“That’s what I always think when I’m on the phone with them I was just saw this man on TV,” Ford said. “It’s a surreal moment when you see these guys on TV and now you’re actually talking to them. It’s like meeting a celebrity.”
Ford said Arkansas, Baylor, Auburn, Texas A&M, Florida and others are really coming after him.
“There’s a lot of other schools that’s recruiting me hard, calling a lot, asking how I’m doing,” Ford said.
Razorbacks Coach Eric Musselman, associate head coach David Patrick and assistant Corey Williams are talking to him.
“They’re talking about branding and myself and building a bond,” Ford said. “How they could develop me as a player.”
Ford has been impressed with Arkansas’ new associate head coach.
“[Patrick’s] an amazing person, he talks to me about two times a week now,” said Ford, who has a 4.0 grade point average. “He was ready to build a bond with the coaching staff and with me.”
Ford and fellow Arkansas offer Javion Guy-King, a sophomore guard from Mills, visited the Hogs last summer, while his parents visited Musselman and staff in March during the Class 4A playoffs.
He feels like he’s communicating to an old friend when talking to Musselman.
“He just sounds excited and I’m excited too,” Ford said. “When we talk it’s like we’ve been knowing one another for five or six years with the way we talk to each other. It’s a great bond.”
His father Darnell played point guard at Southern Arkansas and had a tryout with the Los Angeles Lakers’ summer team.
Ford has a strong work ethic and credits his father for pushing him.
“I’m very blessed because not too many kids have their kids working them out all the time or in their life,” Ford said.