‘Pack your bags’: Family of Notre Dame RB recalls transfer from Penn State football

Thursday night’s Orange Bowl has additional significance for Notre Dame running back Devyn Ford. A matchup two years in the making, the sixth-year senior will see his career come full circle when the Fighting Irish take on Penn State football in South Beach.

Ahead of this week’s College Football Playoff Semifinal, Ford’s father, Anthony, spoke to Blue & Gold’s Tyler Horka about his son’s departure from the Nittany Lions.

“Pack your bags,” Ford recalled of the message the Penn State football staff had for his son in September 2022. After only carrying the ball seven times in the Nittany Lions’ first three games of the season, Ford approached the coaching staff about the idea of redshirting with the intent to transfer.

According to the Ford family, the then-junior running back hoped to remain in the program through the season to help mentor true freshmen teammates Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. It was a proposal that ultimately was rejected by the Penn State coaches.

“That sounds like you’re quitting the team,” Anthony Ford told Horka of the coaching staff’s response to his son.

Devyn Ford left the Penn State football program after four games in 2022. He finished his three-year Nittany Lion career with 1,053 all-purpose yards and six touchdowns.

Ford “didn’t feel fully respected” at Penn State, has extra motivation for the Orange Bowl

In May 2023, Ford transferred into the Notre Dame program. Since joining the Fighting Irish, Ford has 287 yards and one receiving score. Nearing the end of his college career, Ford is bringing extra motivation to meet his former team in the College Football Playoff Semifinal.

“He’s been through some rough times over there at Penn State,” Notre Dame receiver Jordan Faison said of Ford. “He didn’t feel fully respected by things people did over there. He has extra motivation for this.”

“He’s a great kid,” Nittany Lions linebacker Tyler Elsdon said of his former teammate this week. “In the locker room, he’s an awesome guy to talk to. He’s fun to be around. People love him. He’s very liked. Then on the field, he’s a special talent as well. He made plays at Penn State, which was really cool to see. Just being able to see him again, it’s going to be cool.”

Ford and Notre Dame will meet Penn State football in Hard Rock Stadium at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.

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