Yes he was all-state performer rushing for 2,056 yards and 32 TDs his junior year. He has sub 4.5 40-yard speed and has exceptional acceleration coming out of his cuts, plus tremendous cut-back ability when he's running with the football.
But what really sets Devyn Ford [5-11,195] apart from so many other running backs in the class of 2019 is the vision he displays on the football field when he is running with the football. That vision is on full display in his highlight video Nate has accompanying my brief comments regarding Ford.
In a lot of respects Ford's running style reminds me of former Penn State All-American [AA] Curt Warner. I use to marvel watching Warner run with the football. What always caught my attention with the way Warner ran with the football was the way he cut-back against the grain and exploded through the hole into the open. It was like Warner had eyes in the back of his head. He was the best cut-back runner I ever saw perform at Penn State.
Ford appears to have that very same vision and cut-back ability that made Warner an All-American and one of the three best running backs I've ever seen perform at Penn State. This doesn't mean that I'm now anointing Ford as the the next Curt Warner because that would put undo pressure on Ford to perform at Penn State.
But what it does indicate to me is level Coach Franklin and his coaching staff are recruiting. Since Saquon Barkley arrived on Penn State's campus the summer before the 2015 season, Coach Franklin and his staff have done a incredible job of recruiting star quality running backs. Miles Sanders was ranked by Rivals as the # 2 running back in the class of 2016. Ricky Slade was named by Rivals as the # 2 all-purpose running back in the class of 2017 and now Ford will arrive on Penn State's campus late next June as Rivals No. 1 running back in the country and the 9th best overall rated player in the country for the class of 2019.
But I have to add one more piece of information that caught Penn State's attention during the process of Ford's maturation as a running back. With the offense Joe Moorhead installed at Penn State before the start of the 2016 season, one thing it demanded of its running backs was the ability to be a complete running back. That means Penn State's running backs today must be as efficient catching the football coming out of the backfield as they are running with the football. The fact Barkley had 54 catches for 632 yards last fall highlights that point
And this is the area where Ford has made his biggest improvement since the conclusion of the 2017 season. You most likely won't see that on the highlight tape Nate has accompanying my comments, but believe me when I tell you it is the first thing Rivals commentators made regarding Ford when analyzing his performance at Rivals' camps this spring.
So sit back and relax and enjoy watching Ford run with the football with the highlight video Nate has provided.
But what really sets Devyn Ford [5-11,195] apart from so many other running backs in the class of 2019 is the vision he displays on the football field when he is running with the football. That vision is on full display in his highlight video Nate has accompanying my brief comments regarding Ford.
In a lot of respects Ford's running style reminds me of former Penn State All-American [AA] Curt Warner. I use to marvel watching Warner run with the football. What always caught my attention with the way Warner ran with the football was the way he cut-back against the grain and exploded through the hole into the open. It was like Warner had eyes in the back of his head. He was the best cut-back runner I ever saw perform at Penn State.
Ford appears to have that very same vision and cut-back ability that made Warner an All-American and one of the three best running backs I've ever seen perform at Penn State. This doesn't mean that I'm now anointing Ford as the the next Curt Warner because that would put undo pressure on Ford to perform at Penn State.
But what it does indicate to me is level Coach Franklin and his coaching staff are recruiting. Since Saquon Barkley arrived on Penn State's campus the summer before the 2015 season, Coach Franklin and his staff have done a incredible job of recruiting star quality running backs. Miles Sanders was ranked by Rivals as the # 2 running back in the class of 2016. Ricky Slade was named by Rivals as the # 2 all-purpose running back in the class of 2017 and now Ford will arrive on Penn State's campus late next June as Rivals No. 1 running back in the country and the 9th best overall rated player in the country for the class of 2019.
But I have to add one more piece of information that caught Penn State's attention during the process of Ford's maturation as a running back. With the offense Joe Moorhead installed at Penn State before the start of the 2016 season, one thing it demanded of its running backs was the ability to be a complete running back. That means Penn State's running backs today must be as efficient catching the football coming out of the backfield as they are running with the football. The fact Barkley had 54 catches for 632 yards last fall highlights that point
And this is the area where Ford has made his biggest improvement since the conclusion of the 2017 season. You most likely won't see that on the highlight tape Nate has accompanying my comments, but believe me when I tell you it is the first thing Rivals commentators made regarding Ford when analyzing his performance at Rivals' camps this spring.
So sit back and relax and enjoy watching Ford run with the football with the highlight video Nate has provided.
