Penn State defensive line depth takes hit with Alonzo Ford injury
As Penn State’s fall camp continues on with an eye on the season opener against West Virginia, the Nittany Lions are hoping to avoid getting seriously hit by injuries. Such was not the case this week with the news of a season-ending injury to one of its newest additions to the program from the transfer portal.
It was reported this week that defensive tackle Alonzo Ford will miss the 2023 season due to a season-ending injury. The specifics of the injury were not revealed as Penn State does not share that information publicly. Blue-White illustrated was the first to report news of the injury but that report has been confirmed by multiple follow-up reports with confirmation from a Penn State spokesperson.
This is a tough blow for Ford. Ford transferred to Penn State this offseason from Old Dominion, and he was expected to be a good quality depth option for the defensive line upon his arrival. Ford was an honorable mention for All-Sun Belt in 2022. The good news for Ford is he has a redshirt season to use to avoid losing a year of eligibility this fall. It is expected he will use that and keep his two years of eligibility in play beyond the 2023 season.
That is also good news for Penn State, which hopes to have Ford back and contributing in 2024 and potentially again in 2025.
How does this affect the depth?
Alonzo Ford wasn’t coming to Penn State to be a starter this season at defensive tackle, but he may have been one of the top backup options working his way into a bit of a rotation for defensive coordinator Manny Diaz.
Penn State’s starting defensive tackles for 2023 are expected to remain unchanged. Hakeem Beamon and Dvon Ellies should plug up the middle of the defensive line with Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac working on the edges. Ford would have been the second or third option behind Beamon in all likelihood. Other options will be Zane Durant and Jordan van den Berg.
The loss of Ford should lead to more opportunity for a player like Davon Townley Jr., who pulled himself out of the transfer portal this offseason after contemplating his departure from the program. This could also be an opportunity for freshmen Ty Blanding and redshirt freshman Kaleb Artis.
Penn State’s 2023 season kicks off on Saturday, Sept. 2 with a primetime matchup with West Virginia.
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