Tech’s Spann-Ford Commits To Gophers

"He had kind of narrowed it down to four schools," Tech football coach Gregg Martig said. The coach helped his junior wide receiver with the big decision.

"We asked him what was important at the schools, what he was looking for and what was important to him," Martig said. "We let the kids decide where they want to go, we don't make that decision for him."

"In the long run it's what he wanted to do, and we are very excited for him," Martig said. "It's nice to see a kid stay close to home where we can all keep an eye on him."

Spann-Ford has been a starter for the Tigers since his freshman year. Martig says his skill and strength is a rare combination.

"For a kid his size, he is very, very skilled," Martig said. "That gives you a lot of flexibility on how you use him, and there aren't a lot of kids like that."

The Gophers will likely use Spann-Ford in a number of different ways.

"You have huge matchup issues," Martig said. "You could split him out wide where he has a height advantage, you can put him inside where he can use his speed, and his length makes him an easy target."