Jerome Ford is moving back to NFL running Cincinnati, the school announced Monday.
Ford led the Bearcats in 2021 with 1,319 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns, as the Cincinnati Powers became the first team to qualify for the college football playoffs from outside 5.
"He was a leader by example and we built a 'humble and hungry' culture here," Cincinnati coach Luke Fikel said in a statement. "He was a joy to coach, and I can't wait to see what he accomplishes in the NFL and in life."
At last week's Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Cincinnati fell to Ford's former team, Alabama, with Redshirt Jr. running for 77 yards on 15 carries.
Ford ended his Cincinnati career with 1,802 rushing yards and 27 scores. His 6.25 yards per carry average is the best in the program's modern history (since 1950).
Ford was a three-star recruit based out of Florida, and played two seasons in Alabama, appearing in eight games with one start before transferring to Cincinnati.