Injury sidelines Penn State redshirt freshman WR for extended time

Surrounded by reporters just two weeks into Penn State football’s preseason camp, receivers coach Marques Hagans struck an optimistic tone. Josiah Brown, the Nittany Lions’ redshirt freshman, had already captured the attention of coaches and teammates.

A long time coming, the news was welcomed throughout the program.

“He didn’t really play as much because he came from high school injured, so now he’s just really getting in the fold of playing receiver for almost a full year now. And I think that he’s getting settled at the position,” Hagans said. “He’s always been fast and explosive, and I think now he’s starting to really settle in on just playing the position. So, he’s had a good camp so far.

“He’s playing fast, he’s competing, he’s making plays, and he’s physical as hell in the run game. So I think that’s another added dimension to his game and to our room. I think he’s got off to a good start so far this camp.”

The optimism, however, was short-lived.

Blue White Illustrated has confirmed that Brown sustained a preseason injury setback deemed significant, falling under the program’s “long-term” designation. The nature of the injury has not been specified.

Penn State wideout suffers setback

It marks his second long-term setback in less than two full calendar years. After committing to Penn State in June 2023, Brown – an all-state performer from Long Island, N.Y. – suffered a non-contact injury to his right knee that October during his senior season. The damage included a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), a torn medial collateral ligament (MCL), and a torn meniscus.

Recovering from that injury, Brown enrolled early at Penn State in January 2024 and continued his rehabilitation process. Head coach James Franklin and his staff, though, remained undeterred by the injury or its long-term implications.

“You know, when you talk about Josiah Brown, he was a guy that we identified very early on – had track times to back it up,” Franklin said. “Came to camp, ran really well in camp. Suffered an injury his senior year, which limited some of his impact on his team and maybe some of the rankings as well, but (he’s a) guy that we know a lot about and have been recruiting for a long time.”

Progress lost

Emerging from spring practices with heavy limitations, Brown entered the 2024 preseason finally able to begin competing. And while he wouldn’t see game action that year, Franklin remained optimistic about his trajectory.

“He’s been physically cleared for a while. But this is his first major injury, so there’s the mental aspect,” Franklin said last summer. “I know talking to him in the weight room the other day, he’s finally at a point where he feels like, he said, ‘Coach, I’m 100 percent.’ I’m like, ‘100 percent?’ He goes, ‘Yeah, 100 percent,’ like, he feels good. So that’s great going into camp. Real talented guy. It’s a shame that his senior year got cut short. So, it’s exciting having him back and seeing what he’ll do. And it’s great that he feels, mentally and physically, 100 percent going into camp.”

Now, unable to continue along that path, Brown will again be forced into the long road of rehabilitation.

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