Penn State has high expectations for the 2023 college football season following an 11-win campaign that ended with a Rose Bowl win. The Nittany Lions are projected inside the top 10 of national preseason rankings, with Big Ten championship aspirations and a debut College Football Playoff appearance in focus.
PSU opens its 2023 game schedule Sept. 2 versus West Virginia in Beaver Stadium, set for a 7:30 p.m. ET broadcast on NBC. In the meantime, our Countdown to Kickoff series will feature players whose uniform numbers correspond with that number of days remaining until that matchup. Now at 84 days, we focus on Nittany Lions tight end Theo Johnson.
THE BASICS
Position: Tight end
Class: Senior
Size: 6-6, 256 pounds
High School: Holy Names (Windsor, Ontario)
PATH TO PENN STATE
With everything else mostly settled for Penn State’s 2020 recruiting class coming down the stretch of that cycle, Theo Johnson topped the team’s target board late. After battling against Georgia, Iowa and Michigan, and waiting on a decision after an initial commitment postponement, the Nittany Lions landed Canada’s premier prospect as Signing Day neared.
Johnson was considered the No. 61 overall talent and No. 3 tight end in 247Sports’ 2020 prospect rankings. He is one of seven four-star tight ends to sign with Penn State since 2018, and none carried a higher composite recruit rating (96.64) than Johnson.
COLLEGE CAREER SO FAR
Shortly before university enrollment in January 2020, Johnson suffered a right shoulder injury while participating at Under Armour All-America Game practice in Orlando. As a result, he was unsure about what that medical situation might mean for his collegiate transition, and Penn State head coach James Franklin revealed that Johnson would not have been a full participant in 2020 spring practices, which were wiped out anyway by the pandemic.
Johnson recovered to make an impact during his first Nittany Lions season, entering seven of nine total games. With Big Ten Tight End of the Year Pat Freiermuth sidelined for the final five contests, he stepped into an expanded role while Brenton Strange handled first-team duties. Johnson finished with four receptions for 56 yards, totaling 42 of those yards in the regular season finale versus Illinois.
Strange remained in the starting lineup throughout 2021, but Penn State routinely operated in multiple tight end sets, leading Johnson to start six games himself. He entered all 13 contests, finishing one reception shy of Strange and fifth among all Nittany Lions with 19 catches for 213 yards and one touchdown.
A popular breakout pick heading into his junior campaign, Johnson eventually delivered.
He collected only 19 receiving yards through Penn State’s 5-1 start, missing the first two games of 2022. Johnson then recorded a reception of 25-plus yards in six of the last seven games with four touchdowns during that span. He started nine games alongside Strange and led the Nittany Lions with an average of 16.4 yards per catch.
“The really big thing was in the second half of the season I started feeling 100-percent healthy,” Johnson said at the Rose Bowl. “Early on, I wasn’t at 100-percent, and I think it showed in my play when I started to feel like myself again.”
LOOKING AHEAD
After starting 31 straight games, Strange moved onto the NFL as a second-round draft pick. That marked three consecutive starting tight ends from Penn State selected in Round 2, and Johnson certainly has the physical tools to build upon that streak — or to even make a case for first-round consideration.
Following his second-half 2022 explosion, consistency will be key for Johnson as a senior. Availability is also important considering his status through early stages of last autumn and an absence from practice activity this spring.
Due to undisclosed medical recoveries, Johnson and fellow fourth-year tight end Tyler Warren each missed the entirety of spring ball, which concluded April 15. However, they are two of four veterans that James Franklin expects back as full participants come preseason camp.
Johnson is once again working out with the team. Beyond rising expectations for what he can accomplish in Penn State’s offense, his locker room role has also evolved.
“It’s very obvious to us right now as a staff and the players that it’s really important for Theo to have a significant leadership role this year,” Franklin said this week. “You can see him trying to take on that role and being more vocal compared to how he’s been in the past and how his teammates are receiving that information, the impact he’s having on others. All those things have been great and valuable, and we’re happy to have him back.”
Due to the NCAA’s 2020 COVID response, Johnson technically carries a fifth season of college eligibility through 2024.
Previous numbers
85 – former defensive lineman Ollie Ogbu
86 – former tight end Brenton Strange
87 – tight end Andrew Rappleyea
89 – former lineman Dave Robinson
90 – former linebacker Pete Giftopoulos
91 – defensive tackle D’von Ellies / kicker Alex Felkins
92 – defensive end Smith Vilbert
94 – looking back at 1994 unbeaten season
96 – former defensive lineman Immanuel Iyke
98 – former punter Jordan Stout
99 – defensive tackle Coziah Izzard
100 – Meet the Penn State transfer class
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