2021 setting up to be key season for RB Devyn Ford
If there’s one thing that running back prospects need to know before heading to Penn State, it’s that competition is a way of life. Even last year, when its backfield was decimated by health problems, there was a robust battle for carries between a number of promising RBs.
That battle has continued this spring, with Devyn Ford, Keyvone Lee and Caziah Holmes all in action, and John Lovett having joined the Nittany Lions after transferring in from Baylor. To Ford, the competition throughout practice has been helping to bring out the best in all combatants.
“There’s been a high competitive level every single day,” he said. “When you come in and there are guys who can take a spot whenever, that’s a beautiful thing, because we’re always pushing each other to be the best we can be on the field.”
A year ago, Ford was thrust into a situation he never could've anticipated, emerging as the Nittany Lions’ top running back when Journey Brown was ruled out of action with what would turn out to be a career-ending heart ailment and Noah Cain went down with an injury on the first offensive series of the season opener at Indiana.
Ford finished with 274 yards on 67 carries, but he, too, struggled to stay on the field. He missed the team’s trip to Michigan due to a death in the family, and he sat out the last two games of the year with an unspecified injury. In his absence, the Lions’ freshman running backs shined, as Lee rushed for 134 yards and a touchdown in a 27-17 victory over the Wolverines and had 85 yards and a TD in the season finale against Illinois. Holmes added 77 yards and two scores in the 56-21 win over the Illini.
Now that Ford is headed into his third year in the program, running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider is eager to see him take the next step in his career. “He’s one of the most talented kids on our team,” Seider said in March. “But at some point, we’ve got to stop talking about how talented you are, and you’ve got to put it together. You’ve got to put it together for a whole season.”
Seider pointed to Ford’s performances against Ohio State, Nebraska and Rutgers last year, games in which he totaled 167 yards. But his late-season absence opened the door for Lee and Holmes, and as Seider noted, “They took advantage of it.”
Now, Seider wants to see Ford stay healthy and show that the occasional bursts are indicative of his true abilities. “I still believe in that kid,” Seider said. “I think he brings a presence to what we do offensively – running the ball, catching the ball, in the return game. I still believe in his potential as a player. Now we’ve just got to get it. We all talk about potential. Potential is nothing if you don’t tap into it. It’s time for him to take the next step. This is going to be his third year.
“The best thing I can tell you right now about him is that you can see the maturity taking over. He’s starting to calm down, he’s starting to focus in on himself. He’s a better student, which allows you to be a better football player. I tell my guys all the time, if you handle the stuff off the field, it’s going to make the stuff on the field easy for you because you’re not going to have that many distractions, and now you can focus on doing the things you love and playing ball. That’s been a message all spring, and I think the kid has really taken to it.”
Ford said he’s appreciated Seider’s honesty throughout their time together at Penn State.
“He’s like a father figure,” Ford said. “He’s there for you, but he gives you the information that you need to hear, not what you want to hear. He keeps you honest to your word and what you do on the field. He’s going to hold you accountable for everything you do, and that’s what you want from a coach and a person like him. He doesn’t treat you like a player, he treats you like a son, like an actual person. He’s a great coach.”
Seider has a lot of talent to work with, especially with Cain on the mend from the injury that cost him all but a handful of snaps last season.
“We’ve got a lot of good backs in the room,” Ford said. “We’re improving every day, just trying to get better. That’s how we get better, by pushing each other, each person.”
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