2026 DE Jackson Ford: ‘My whole life, I have always been a huge Penn State fan’

Penn State picked up two commitments Saturday for its Class of 2026, but head coach James Franklin and his staff also extended a handful of scholarship offers to others in the class this week. On Friday evening, Pennsylvania native Jackson Ford was one of a few prospects who earned an offer after camp.

Listed at 6-foot-3, 240 pounds, Ford put up some solid numbers, running a 4.65-second 40-yard dash and a 9-foot, 2-inch broad jump. The Malvern Prep athlete came into the weekend already holding a handful of quality offers, but Penn State may very well be his biggest yet.

“My whole life, I have always been a huge Penn State fan, so I’m always watching their games regardless of the sport,” Ford said. “My family didn’t go to PSU, but both my parents did go to UPenn, so I’ve been to plenty of PSU games and UPenn games.”

Ford is up to eight scholarship offers now, but those schools are also split on where he fits best at the next level. Schools like Maryland, Colorado State and Kent State all like him most as a tight end, while Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers and West Virginia are recruiting him as a defensive end. Virginia Tech said they’ll take him at either position.

Three Things: What Kevin Brown’s commitment means for Penn State

“I was a big fan of his coaching style,” Ford said when asked about his workout with defensive line coach Deion Barnes . “I felt it was easy to understand and implement what he was telling me right away. Me and my family were big fans of him and enjoyed the time we got to talk with him. Overall, he’s a great guy.”

In addition to camp, Ford was also in attendance for the Lasch Bash Barbecue earlier in the day.

“Me and my whole family thought the Lasch Bash was an amazing and unique experience,” Ford said. “We were able to meet and bond with almost every coach there. We were all big fans of that and we also loved the fact that everyone in the Penn State organization are all just genuine and kindhearted people.”

In addition to Penn State, Ford visited Rutgers, Tennessee and West Virginia this summer. He said he plans to get back to State College for a game this season and will likely see a few other schools as well.

“There have been talks about coming up for a game, especially the White Out,” Ford said. “I would say a few other schools I want to get back to are definitely Rutgers, Pitt and West Virginia. I had great times there.”

The post 2026 DE Jackson Ford: ‘My whole life, I have always been a huge Penn State fan’ appeared first on On3 .