"One guy who really impressed me is Randall Cobb. He knows a lot already. I think he has a great chance of playing this year. I am not saying the rest won't because they could all come in and help us. But he looks pretty special."
Boyd, the brother of former UK quarterback Shane Boyd, has also made an impression.
"Aaron is a worker. He is learning. He just has to continue to learn the plays. But they all have to learn that," Ford said.
Some returning receivers have impressed him as well. He says redshirt freshman Anthony Mosley "will help us a lot this year" and that sophomore Andre Henderson could be the biggest surprise in fall camp.
Ford's role more than anything would have been to provide toughness, especially as a blocker, at receiver. Without him, he says senior Dicky Lyons, UK's top returning receiver, and Mosley have to fill that void until he can get cleared to practice and play.
"I am just like the second coach right now telling those guys what they need to do. We have guys that can fill the void until I get back. I just want to make sure they all stay positive," he said.
To do that, he's watched film with the younger receivers. He's gone over coverages with them.
"It's all about working together," he said. "Since I can't do a lot of moving, I can coach. That keeps me cautious and makes sure I don't do more than I should.
"When I get cleared to play, I won't have to worry about being cautious any more. But it has been tough taking it easy the whole offseason. I couldn't do anything but stand back and coach."
