Jaylan Ford

Jaylan Ford (born November 28, 2001) is an American professional football linebacker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns.

Early life Ford attended Lone Star High School in Frisco, Texas, where he was the District 5-5A-I Defensive MVP as a junior. A three star prospect, Ford originally committed to play college football for Utah before flipping his commitment to Texas.

College career After being a role player his first two seasons at the University of Texas at Austin, Ford emerged as a key contributor for the Longhorns in 2022. On October 15, 2022, Ford recorded 8 tackles and two forced turnovers in a 24–21 win over Iowa State and was named the Big 12 defensive player of the week. Ford finished the season with 119 tackles, the second most of any player in the Big 12. At the conclusion of the season he was named a member of the All Big-12 first team, and third-team All-American by the Associated Press. Ford would return for his senior season, once again earning All Big-12 first team honors.

Professional career

Ford was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round (175th overall) of the 2024 NFL draft. He played in 8 games during his rookie campaign, recording 4 combined tackles. In Week 17 against the Las Vegas Raiders, Ford suffered a fractured fibula, necessitating surgery and effectively ending his season.

On August 30, 2026, Ford was placed on injured reserve with a designation to return.

Career statistics NFL LegendBoldCareer high

Regular season

College Year Team GP Tackles Interceptions Fumbles Solo Ast Cmb TfL Sck Int Yds Avg TD PD FR Yds TD FF 2020 Texas 10 5 9 14 1 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2021 Texas 12 29 24 53 6 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2022 Texas 13 61 58 119 10 2.0 4 48 12.0 0 2 2 0 0 3 2023 Texas 14 47 54 101 11 1.0 2 5 2.5 0 2 1 0 0 1Career 49 142 145 287 28 3.0 6 53 8.8 0 4 3 0 0 4