Keith Ford to Transfer to Texas A&M: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

Former Oklahoma Sooners running back Keith Ford announced he'll be transferring to Texas A&M ahead of the 2015 college football season.

Ford revealed the news to GigEm247's Taylor Hamm:

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I'm going to Aggieland. It feels great. When I went up there today you could really tell how much time they put into their player's futures. They care about you getting your degree as much as your success on the field. What really helped me come to my decision was when I sat down with Coach (Kevin) Sumlin. It didn't sound like it was rehearsed or anything. He was just talking to me man-to-man and laid out his expectations for me. He also wanted me to believe in him. After I heard all of that I was like, 'Yea, I'm coming here.' I can't wait to get up there.

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Ford ran for 526 yards and six touchdowns in his two years with Oklahoma. Last week, he made public his decision to transfer. His Sooners career ended on a somewhat low note after he was injured and suspended in 2014, not to mention he lost his starting job to Samaje Perine. 

Billy Liucci of TexAgs noted that Ford's imminent arrival will give Texas A&M more 5-star recruits than it had in the 10 years before Sumlin took over:

Earlier in the day, Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee wrote that the Aggies were the optimal fit for Ford, who will provide a great foil to fellow running back James White:

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White is much more of a power runner than Ford and can lean on defenses and open up those running lanes for Ford. The duo can essentially create a "thunder and lightning" situation in the Aggie backfield.

What's more, Sumlin realized that his offense was way too unbalanced last year (514 passing plays to 421 running plays) and brought in new offensive line coach Dave Christensen to bring a more downhill attack to College Station.

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Ford will have to sit out a year following the transfer, so the earliest he'll see the field in College Station is 2016. The Aggies shouldn't have many problems waiting that long with Tra Carson and Brandon Williams, who combined for 960 yards in 2014, coming back next year.

Nobody doubted how good the passing game could be over the next few years. Speedy Noil and Kyle Allen will make sure that's the case. What was missing on the Aggies offense was a runner like Ford. Throw him in the mix, and Texas A&M will be a fun team to watch in 2016 and 2017.