Penn State just became one step closer to landing a major recruit who could end up being a star for their defense
The 2026 recruiting class is loaded with talented pass rushers. You can include Duncanville (Texas) High School standout Kevin Ford Jr., who is one of the more highly sought-after defenders in the cycle. He has demanded the attention from some of the heavy hitters in college football.
Penn State has done a really nice job with Ford early on. They have had a great trend of fantastic defensive end play, including Abdul Carter, Odafe Oweh, and Chop Robinson among others. That run has made the Nittany Lions very attractive, and has landed them in the top 12 schools for Ford.
Penn State was joined in that group with Ohio State, Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma, LSU, Florida, USC, Texas A&M, Auburn, Ole Miss, and Missouri. That is quite a diverse and impressive group of suitors.
Obviously with the top group still having 12 schools, Ford is nowhere near ready to make a decision. Still, this is a great step for the Nittany Lions. The offseason of visits will determine whether they continue to trend in a positive direction.
Ford is considered to be a top-100 recruit on the 247Sports ranking, currently sitting as the No. 97 overall player on their ranking. On that ranking, Ford is rated as the No. 10 EDGE and No. 16 player in Texas in the 2026 recruiting class. Ford is also rated as the No. 105 overall player on the 247Sports Composite ranking.
The 6-3, 245-pound pass rusher has been pursued by several of the top programs in all of college football. Outside of his finalists, Ford also holds offers from Texas, LSU, Miami, Tennessee, Florida State, Nebraska, Arkansas, Colorado, Arizona State, UNC, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Maryland, Houston, Kansas, Baylor, SMU, and UCF among others.
As a junior, Ford put together a tremendous season for Duncanville. In 14 games, he collected 57 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss, and seven sacks. Ford also had another 15 quarterback hurries, one forced fumble, another fumble recovery, and two pass breakups.
Michigan coach Sherrone Moore walks off the field after his team’s 31-12 loss to Texas at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024.
