The No. 1 high school all-purpose back nationally in the 2019 recruiting class and No. 40 player overall only was able to show glimpses the past four seasons at Penn State of that kind of prowess before leaving the Nittany Lions’ roster last Oct. 1.
On Friday night, Devyn Ford hit the reset button, committing to transfer to Notre Dame 17 days before summer classes begin, with up to two years of eligibility with the Irish. The Irish, at 83 scholarship players, have room for two more if they so choose.
Ford is the record seventh scholarship portal pickup for the Irish since December and the ninth overall when recruited walk-ons Ben Krimm (Penn) and Cole Aubrey (Princeton) are included.
The 5-foot-11, 200-pound grad senior rushed for 666 yards and six TDs for Penn State in his four years there, with the most productive season being his freshman year (2019) — 294 yards on 52 carries (5.7 avg) and three TDs. He held a Notre Dame scholarship offer out of high North Stafford (Va.) High.
The Irish landed two-time 1,000-yard rusher Kyren Williams, a three-star prospect out of St. Louis, in that cycle. Among Ford’s other offers the first time around were ones from Clemson, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Tennessee.
While Notre Dame represents a second chance for Ford, he offers the Irish a safety net at a position loaded with talent but not experience, once junior Logan Diggs opted to transfer to LSU earlier this spring.
Notre Dame returns leading rusher, junior Audric Estimé (920 yards, 156 carries, 11 TDs) along with three promising backs who have combined for two college carries and five rushing yards — sophomores Gi’Bran Payne and Jadarian Price and June-arriving freshman Jeremiyah Love. Price is coming back from a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered last June.
Former Irish running back Chris Tyree, a senior, moved to wide receiver full time this spring before Diggs decided to enter the transfer portal.
Ford only played in four games last season, rushing for 37 yards on seven carries in a reserve role. His decision to leave the roster after those four games allowed him to preserve a year of eligibility. He also has a COVID option season.
Some speculated his football career had ended when Ford did not end up in the transfer portal during the winter window in December and January. But on April 24, he submitted his name for the 15-day spring window.
Notre Dame, 9-4 in head coach Marcus Freeman’s first season, opens the 2023 season Aug. 26 in Dublin, Ireland, against Navy.
---------------------------------------------------------------
• Talk with Notre Dame fans on The Insider Lounge.
• Subscribe to the Inside ND Sports podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, SoundCloud, Podbean or Pocket Casts.
• Subscribe to the Inside ND Sports channel on YouTube.
• Follow us on Twitter: @insideNDsports, @EHansenND, @TJamesND and @cbowles01.
• Like us on Facebook: Inside ND Sports
• Follow us on Instagram: @insideNDsports
