Former Penn State running back Devyn Ford enters transfer portal
Former Penn State running back Devyn Ford has entered the transfer portal, according to On3 sources. The four-year performer with the Nittany Lions departed the program ahead of an Oct. 1, 2022 matchup with Northwestern.
Asked about Ford’s absence that afternoon at Beaver Stadium, Penn State head coach James Franklin acknowledged that the junior running back was no longer with the program.
“Devyn Ford is no longer on the team,” Franklin said in his post-game press conference. “He’s decided that he wanted to focus on academics. And we wish him the best.
“I think you guys know, I praised Devyn Ford for four years and have a lot of respect for him. I wish him nothing but the best.”
Ford maintained his redshirt with the decision to participate in only four games during the season. As a result, along with his COVID bonus year of eligibility, Ford will have two seasons to play at his future destination.
Devyn Ford’s Penn State career
Ford began his Penn State career as a four-star prospect out of the Class of 2019. He entered alongside Noah Cain and played in all 12 games during his debut season, finishing with 294 yards on 52 carries and notching three touchdowns.
He followed the effort with a true sophomore season in 2020 in which he was thrust into action. Though Journey Brown had finished the 2019 campaign as Penn State’s heir apparent as a dominant running back, Ford found the spotlight in the first game of the amended 2020 season due to Brown’s career-ending medical diagnosis and a first-quarter injury to Cain.
The result was a season in which Ford played in six of Penn State’s nine games. He ran for 274 yards on 67 carries and notched another three touchdowns. But, the season was marked by a devastating lapse in which he scored a touchdown late in the fourth quarter against Indiana, opening the door to a cascade of letdowns and an 0-5 start to the season.
Moving on from the season, he returned as a component of Penn State’s ground game during the 2021 season. He played in nine games but again struggled with injuries, finishing with 14 carries for 61 yards in Penn State’s 7-6 season.
Before his exit Ford found a role as something of a mentor to Penn State’s exciting true freshmen backs, Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, in 2022. He played in each of the Nittany Lions’ first three games, finishing with 37 yards on seven carries, including a 30-yard jaunt in the win at Auburn.
