First came Saquon Barkley, then Miles Sanders, Journey Brown, and Ricky Slade.

Now, Devyn Ford is the next ballyhooed ballcarrier to sign with the Lions.

Head coach James Franklin and his staff have not missed a beat in running back recruiting with Charles Huff gone and Ja’Juan Seider in as the first-year leader of the Lions' running back room, and Ford, who is a four-star from North Stafford, Va., continues the tradition of strong back signings in the Franklin era.

He is the No. 5 back in the Class of 2019 and No. 80 player overall according to the 247Sports' Composite rankings. Ford committed to Penn State last May, will play in the Under Armour All-American game in January, and is expected to arrive on campus next summer after sending his National Letter of Intent to Penn State on Wednesday.

PennLive is breaking down each of the Lions' top-100 player signees in the Class of 2019. Here’s what to know about Ford.

Quick hitters

Position: Running back

High School: North Stafford (Virginia)

Height: 5-11 Weight: 195 pounds

Recruiting rankings 247: 4 stars ESPN: 4 stars Rivals: 5 stars

Others considered: Virginia Tech, Clemson, Virginia and over 25 others.

What are the Lions getting?

The trend of Penn State running back recruiting has mixed play styles, but for the most part, they all have had the size, speed, and measureables that Ford has exiting high school.

“Somewhat wiry 5-11, 195-pound frame will fill out in college and should be a 215-pound back in a few years,” 247Sports writes in an evaluation. "Versatile big-play threat with ability to get through hole quickly. Does not waste time running east-west. Has nice jump cut and accelerates quickly. Gets to top speed in a few steps.

“Could start as a freshman and be a three- or four-year starter at elite Power 5 school and second- to fourth-round NFL draft pick.”

Why Penn State?

“What I like about Penn State is just the fans,” Ford told Blue-White Illustrated. "They have 110k up there. Up there at the spring game, it was amazing the atmosphere there. They only had 71,000 there and it still felt like a real game, to be honest.

“They have really good alumni. I see people down here in Virginia always talking about ‘go there, go there, We Are,’ all that stuff. I also got Nana Asiedu and Ricky Slade in my ear, too.”

When might he contribute?

When Miles Sanders came out of Pittsburgh Woodland Hills as a four-star recruit in the Class of 2016, he checked in at 5-foot-11, 199 pounds.

Three years later, he’s listed on Penn State’s Citrus Bowl depth chart at 5-foot-11, 215 pounds, and he carries the added weight well.

It’s easy to envision Ford making a similar physical progression during his time with the Lions, but how much he plays early on will come down to whether or not Sanders decides to leave early for the NFL after this season or come back for his senior year.