Kyle Ford reminds everyone why he was a top recruit: 'I know I can do this'

"We called each other, I believe right after the Utah game, and he said, 'No more.' He wants to be on the field, he wants to make those catches for me," Williams recalled. "And he got his opportunity, and he did so."

On the surface, it's an interesting conversation for a guy like Ford to initiate, having caught just 2 passes all season before Saturday.

But Ford isn't just another name on the depth chart, as he indeed showed in USC's 45-37 win at Arizona, tallying a career-high 6 receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown while playing an expanded role with the Trojans missing their top two receivers, Jordan Addison and Mario Williams.

Ford was the No. 9-ranked wide receiver in the 2019 recruiting class, the No. 65 overall national prospect, and no matter what has happened these past few years, no matter how the perception or projection has shifted since he was one of the most coveted recruits in the country, Ford has never stopped thinking of himself as that same player.

Take away the context of the two ACL surgeries and the other recurring injuries he's endured, or that he's now a redshirt junior who had simply been stuck behind a loaded wide receiver depth chart this season, and those watching Saturday could also see that same elite athlete who announced his USC commitment live on national television at the All-American Bowl all those years ago.

Ford sure looked like that guy six plays into the game Saturday as Caleb Williams locked in on him from the start on a third-and-6, hitting him on a back-shoulder strike down the sideline for a 22-yard gain and his second straight reception.