Former Arkansas guard Derrian Ford is transferring within the state.
Ford, who played his freshman season with the Razorbacks in 2022-23, committed to Arkansas State on Friday. He made the announcement in a post to his Twitter and Instagram accounts.
“AState!! Blessed!! God gets all the glory!!” Ford, who stated plans to transfer from Arkansas on April 27, wrote on Twitter.
The Red Wolves, who play in the Sun Belt Conference, are led by first-year head coach Bryan Hodgson, a former Alabama assistant who was hired in March. Arkansas State finished last season 13-20 overall and 4-14 in league games.
“I feel he’s an even better person than he is a coach,” Ford said of Hodgson in an interview with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Friday afternoon. “He’s going to believe in me, he’s going to push me to my limits — or try to push me above my limits — and just get me to the next level that I’m trying to get to.”
More from WholeHogSports: Walsh, Council show well in head-to-head matchup at NBA Draft Combine
A former standout at Magnolia, Ford was twice named Gatorade Arkansas Player of the Year and led the program to three state championships. He averaged 23.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3 assists per game as a senior.
“I’m here for [the Arkansas State fans] and I’m not thinking about any other school,” Ford said when asked what he wanted the ASU community to know about him. “I’m going to try to put in my best effort, play to the best of my ability … and ultimately, win a championship.”
In his lone season at Arkansas, Ford played 80 minutes in 21 games and had 15 points and 10 rebounds. He saw the floor for a season-high 16 minutes in the Razorbacks’ loss at Vanderbilt on Jan. 14.
Ford scored a season-best four points in nine minutes in the team’s loss at Missouri on Jan. 18. The 6-3 guard had a three-assist game against San Jose State in December, and had a pair of assists in wins over North Carolina-Asheville and Georgia.
Ford finished with 1 point, 1 rebound and 1 assist in 5 minutes in Arkansas’ Sweet 16 loss to Connecticut in Las Vegas.
Ford is the second player from the Razorbacks’ 2022-23 roster to commit to another program this spring, joining Barry Dunning (UAB).
Mitchell Gladstone contributed