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Elite Florida football commit caught sucker punching player after upset loss

KJ Ford could be facing a suspension after this.
ByBraulio Perez|
Sep 24, 2022; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier argues with an official during the second half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images
Sep 24, 2022; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier argues with an official during the second half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

This just adds to the long list of problems for Florida football and head coach Billy Napier. Right now, the Gators are focused on trying to post a big-time upset in primetime against the Miami Hurricanes, but some off-the-field trouble has arrived for a future playmaker.

One of the highest-rated commits on board for the 2026 class is standout pass-rusher KJ Ford. The Texas product has been Florida-bound since July, but he's unfortunately making headlines for all of the wrong reasons this weekend.

Miami fans seem to care more about taunting FSU than worrying about Florida

On Friday night, Ford and his Duncanville teammates suffered an upset loss to Waxahachie and emotions were riding high following the final whistle. As you'll be able to see in the clip below courtesy of reporter Travis M. Smith, Ford was caught grabbing a player's facemask and then he proceeded to punch another player who wasn't even fully suited up:

4-star Florida commit KJ Ford punched a rival player after losing on Friday night

A bit of a melee broke out after this unfortunate incident. Ford has been committed to Florida since July 11, picking the Gators over 37 other offers. This was a massive recruiting win for Napier and his staff, as Ford had some powerhouses among his finalists.

He took official visits to Florida, Ohio State, Texas A&M and Alabama, but his trip to the UF campus made him realize that Gainesville is the best place for him to call home moving forward. According to the 247Sports Composite, he's ranked four stars, the No. 13 EDGE in the country and the No. 99 prospect nationally for the 2026 class.

There's no question that Ford has a bright future ahead of him, but he's now getting called out quite a bit for how he handled the loss for his high school team this week. This is something Napier and Florida will surely address with him sooner rather than later.