Highly Touted Virginia Transfer Visits Tennessee Baseball

Before hitting the road to Fayetteville for this weekend’s super regional series against Arkansas, Tennessee baseball got some recruiting work in and hosted one of the top transfers in the country on a visit.

Virginia star Henry Ford hopped in the portal when it opened earlier this week after head coach Brian O’Connor left Charlottesville for Mississippi State. Ford visited Tennessee baseball on Wednesday, GoVols247’s Ben McKee first reported.

Ford was a Second Team All-ACC selection this past season, hitting .362 with 11 home runs, 21 extra-base hits and 46 RBIs in 51 games played. The Charlottesville native played mostly right field for the Cavaliers but is also capable of playing first base and left field.

The right-handed hitter was even better in a fully healthy freshman season, hitting .336 with 17 home runs, 31 extra-base hits and 69 RBIs.

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While Ford is a Virginia native, he has East Tennessee ties. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound prospect played his high school baseball at the Baylor School in Chattanooga before returning home to play for the Cavaliers. Ford is one of the very top players in the transfer portal with On3 ranking him as the No. 1 player in the portal at the moment.

It’s unclear who the top contenders to land Ford are at this point. With O’Connor taking the Mississippi State job, the Bulldogs will likely be a candidate. While Virginia has yet to hire O’Connor’s replacement, Ford could return to his hometown team for his final collegiate season.

With a number of fringe draft decisions, it’s unclear what Tennessee’s roster will look like next season. But the Vols will have to replace first baseman Andrew Fischer and could possibly have to replace all three of their outfield starters from this past season.

Tony Vitello and his staff have had an abundance of success in the transfer portal in recent years landing players like Fischer, Gavin Kilen, Dalton Bargo, Billy Amick, Zane Denton and Griffin Merritt in recent years.