Penn State tight end Theo Johnson back, working at practice
Penn State could have a boost in store ahead of its trip to Auburn this weekend. As seen at practice on Wednesday afternoon, third-year tight end Theo Johnson was a full participant.
The sighting at Penn State’s partially opened practice session comes after Johnson has been sidelined for each of the past two weeks with an undisclosed injury.
As reported by Franklin during his weekly radio show last Thursday night, when asked by a fan whether or not Johnson would be available for the game against Ohio Saturday at Beaver Stadium, the “bumps and bruises” could potentially still keep him out of action.
“That’s to be determined,” Franklin said. “He’s got some bumps and bruises that we’re working through with the trainers. It’s not our call, that’s the trainers and the medical professionals. And I typically don’t get into those things.
“So, we’re hopeful. He’s an unbelievable young man. Love him, his mom, and the whole family. And he’s got a chance to be a big-time player for us. So we hope to get him back as soon as possible. Hopefully, that’s on Saturday.”
Next steps for Theo Johnson
Johnson’s absence has been significant for Penn State’s offense against his expected contributions this season.
Returning as the second-leading receiver last season among the tight ends, Johnson caught 19 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown. The performance came after his debut with the Nittany Lions in which he nabbed four receptions for 56 yards in 2020.
Still, despite Penn State’s hopes for Johnson entering the season, he wasn’t able to appear in the program’s trip to Purdue. Instead, he traveled and remained sidelined during the game.
“We were hoping that we may have him available in that Purdue game,” Franklin said last week. “That’s not our call. But, we were hopeful, traveling [him] to see if there was a chance of that, and we’ll go from there.
“Obviously, everybody knows how much of a big-time player he is and how much respect we have for him, both on and off the field. So, hopefully we’re able to get him back sooner rather than later. Hopefully that’s this week.”
Auburn matchup
So far this season, Brenton Strange is the leading tight end for the Nittany Lions. He has three receptions in the first two games for 89 yards and a score.
Tyler Warren has filled in with Johnson’s absence as the next up at the position. He’s made four catches for 39 yards. Redshirt freshman Khalil Dinkins, meanwhile, made one catch on Saturday, a 28-yard touchdown from Drew Allar.
