Penn State All 105: After Lost Season, Alonzo Ford Jr. Ready to Show What he can Do

Alonzo Ford Jr. didn’t get to show much on the field last season, and it wasn’t the Penn State DTs fault.

Weeks before the season started, it was revealed that Ford suffered a season-ending injury.

It was a crushing blow for a player who started his career at a low-level DI school, then impressed coach James Franklin enough to earn an offer from Penn State, which turned into a signing.

But Ford is back this season, and if his health holds up, he’d add a big body to what should be a deep Penn State defensive line. Ford is the subject of All 105, a Nittany Sports Now series profiling each Penn State player.

Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 319 pounds 

Hometown: Richmond, Virginia 

Before Penn State

Old Dominion: The Richmond, Virginia native started his career roughly an hour and a half from home at Old Dominion. He was a Week 1 starter at ODU, starting all 13 games a true freshman in 2021. The next season, he started in 12 games and was named honorable mention all-Sun Belt, ending the year with 32 tackles, five tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He entered the transfer portal in the offseason and committed to Penn State in early May 2023.

High School: As a senior at Varina— which is also the alma mater of Penn State second-year LB Kavieon Keys— Ford was a first-team All-State selection on both the defensive and offensive line. He ended that senior season with 59 tackles— 20 for loss— and five sacks. Ford was a three-star recruit coming out of high school.

Where he stands: Penn State has plenty of depth and experience on the DL, with Dvon J-Thomas (formerly Ellies) and Hakeem Beamon each returning for their sixth season. Zane Durant, who made a name for himself as a regular starter in 2023, is back for his third season, and Penn State also has Coziah Izzard back for his fifth season. Ford will have to fight for playing time but 319 pounders don’t come along too often, so that size could help him get some reps.

A quote about Ford: “I think this summer, he’ll be full go. And I’m not talking about summer camp (in August), I’m talking about summer training.”

“His attitude has been great, he’s done really well in the classroom, he’s obviously lived in the treatment room,” Franklin said. “The strength staff has been able to work with him, the trainers have been working with him, everybody loves him. There’s just not a whole lot that we’ve been able to see up to this point, other than the stuff that we saw when we recruited him.” — James Franklin on Alonzo Ford Jr. after a practice this spring.

More All 105s

C Cooper Cousins

LB Ben Chizmar

LB: Kaveion Keys

LS Tyler Duzansky

LB Jackson Prytts

TE Tyler Warren

LB Tyler Elsdon

DE Mason Robinson 

LB Kobe King

S Patrick Williams 

LB Anthony Speca

S Jashaun Green

DT Ty Blanding

LB Winston Yates

LB Beckham Dee

WR Feyisayo Oluleye

DE Zuriah Fisher

LS Blaise Sokach—Minnick

RB Tyler Holzworth 

DE Dani Dennis-Sutton

S Kolin Dinkins 

WR Logan Cunningham

LB Kari Jackson

RB Amiel Davis

S Karson Kiesewetter

DT Zane Durant

RB Cameron Wallace

S Lamont Payne

RB Quinton Martin 

RB Corey Smith

LB Ta’Mere Robinson 

CB Antoine Belgrave-Shorter

S Vaboue Toure

DE Mylachi Williams 

QB Jack Lambert

WR Josiah Brown

DE Jameial Lyons

TE Joey Schlaffer

QB Ethan Grunkemeyer

CB Elliot Washington

TE Khalil Dinkins

DE Amin Vanover 

LB Tyrece Mills

QB Jaxon Smolik

S DaKarri Nelson

LB Tony Rojas

RB Kaytron Allen

CB Jon Mitchell

WR Anthony Ivey

DE Abdul Carter

RB Nicholas Singleton

QB Beau Pribula 

WR Tyler Johnson

CB Zion Tracy

WR Kaden Saunders

WR Trey Wallace 

S Zakee Wheatley

CB Cam Miller

WR Omari Evans

CB A.J. Harris

CB Jalen Kimber

WR Julian Fleming 

S KJ Winston

WR Liam Clifford

S Jaylen Reed 

LB Dom DeLuca