Previewing the 2026 season for Penn State DE Jackson Ford

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Penn State football will have a completely overhauled roster to get to know in 2026 under new head coach Matt Campbell. Following one of the most active offseasons in recent memory for Penn State with a flurry of activity in the transfer portal, fans will have a lot of catching up to do in getting to know this year’s Penn State roster. Fortunately, not every face will be brand new to fans. Regardless, we will be here to give you a fresh overview of every player on the roster for the 2026 season with a series of player profiles.

From all of the returning players, a long list of new faces from the transfer portal, and incoming recruits from the Class of 2026, we will have you covered with this year’s player profiles for the Penn State roster. Here is a quick look at defensive end Jackson Ford for the 2026 season.

Preseason Player Profile

  • Hometown: Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
  • Height: 6-5
  • Weight: 252
  • Class in 2026: Freshman

Recruiting Rankings

Class of 2025: Composite 4-star recruit, No.22 edge rusher per 247Sports

Jackson Ford was the first Class of 2026 commit for the Nittany Lions, committing on June 27, 2025. He chose Penn State over several of their Big Ten rivals.

Career Stats

Jackson Ford has not yet played for the Nittany Lions. Yet his senior season at Malvern Prep can be said to be the one that put him on the map, with 31 total tackles.

Depth Chart Overview

During his freshman season, there could be a pathway that sees Jackson Ford immediately join the Nittany Lions’ edge rushing rotation. In a young group, he joins a rotation of fellow freshman Dayshaun Burnett, and redshirt sophomore transfer Alijah Carnell. The fact that he already took a number of snaps in spring drills with the first and second team should give him hope of meaningful snaps come spring.

Random Fact

Jackson Ford was a track star at Malvern Prep, running the 100-yard dash in 12.42 seconds, impressive for his size.

This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Previewing the 2026 season for Penn State DE Jackson Ford

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