Former Penn State four-star running back Devyn Ford gets new start in transfer portal

It’s portal season in college football. But all things considered, Penn State’s roster has held up reasonably well so far through the spring transfer portal window. The Nittany Lions have lost key depth pieces, such as transfer cornerback Storm Duck, lineman Jimmy Christ, and linebacker Bobby Walchak. While the Lions have lost some significant contributors from previous rosters, these players had left the roster long before entering the portal. Keyvon Lee’s name recently popped up when he visited Mississippi State for its spring game. And now Lee’s counterpart in the backfield, former Penn State running back Devyn Ford, has also entered the transfer portal.

Big expectations lead to major changes in Penn State’s running back room

Penn State had major expectations from their two top-100 backs in the 2019 class. The Nittany Lions had commitments from two four-star prospects, Devyn Ford and Noah Cain. The pair of running backs did see a lot of game action. However, their careers in Happy Valley didn’t go as expected 

Cain was the starting running back for a while. Penn State would not have beaten Iowa in 2019 without Cain’s tough running. Cain had 972 yards and 12 TDs in his three seasons at Penn State. Then in the 2020 and 2021 seasons, Penn State’s running back room was headlined by Keyvone Lee but also saw significant contributions from Caziah Holmes. 

But last year, freshmen Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen took the reins of the rushing attack, combining for over 2,000 all-purpose yards. And one by one, the running back room dwindled. Holmes transferred to Florida State before the start of last season. Cain also transferred from Penn State and returned to his home state to play for LSU. Keyvone Lee left the program following Penn State’s Rose Bowl-winning season and is now looking for a new home. 

Former Penn State running back Devyn Ford enters transfer portal

And on Monday, another former Penn State running back has hit the transfer portal. Devyn Ford had 622 yards from scrimmage and 6 TDs in his freshman and sophomore seasons at Penn State. In 2020, Ford saw a more prominent role due to Journey Brown’s medical retirement after the 2019 season. 

?TRANSFER PORTAL?

Former Penn State RB Devyn Ford enters transfer portal.

A top-100 overall talent in the 2019 recruiting class, Ford moves forward with two remaining seasons of collegiate eligibility.

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In the 2021 season, Ford rotated with the other backs but got injured at Iowa and had to miss significant time. While he was used primarily as a pass catcher early in 2022, Ford decided to retain his eligibility and leave the program following Penn State’s first four games. James Franklin said that Devyn Ford was leaving the program after the Northwestern game in October. Wherever Ford ends up, he will have two years of eligibility remaining at his next stop. 

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