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NCAA denies waiver for Illinois TE Luke Ford

Dustin Schutte

By Dustin Schutte

Published:

What seemed to be a sure thing a few months ago turned into a headscratching decision from the NCAA regarding Luke Ford’s eligibility waiver.

Ford, who transferred to Illinois from Georgia following the 2018 season to be closer to family, tweeted on Wednesday evening that his waiver for immediate eligibility was denied by the NCAA. That means he’ll be forced to sit out a full season and will be eligible in 2020.

“My waiver got denied. Thanks for all your support. It’s all in the Lord’s timing,” Ford wrote on Twitter.

Ford decided to leave Georgia and transfer to Illinois to be closer to a family member with health concerns. After learning that Justin Fields, Tate Martell and Jack Tuttle all received waivers from the NCAA, it seemed like Ford would be granted the same luxury.

Apparently that won’t be the case for the tight end. It’s just another curious decision from an organization that has been incredibly inconsistent with its rulings and punishments across college athletics.

Ford is a Carterville, Ill. native and a former four-star prospect. He appeared in nine games in his one season at Georgia and caught one pass for four yards.

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB