Tight ends rediscovered
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Theo Johnson knew he was more than capable of being a focal point in Penn State’s offense.
He’d shown it in 2021, making explosive plays in the passing game and having a couple of four-catch days to his name against the conference’s elite in Ohio State and Michigan. But Johnson missed some time at the start of the 2022 campaign with what James Franklin called “bumps and bruises” during an early September appearance on the Penn State coaches show.
The third-year tight end was reduced to a non-factor in Penn State’s first six games of the year and had only two catches for 19 yards.
“I knew I had the attributes to be able to make those plays,” Johnson said. “It’s just a matter of getting those opportunities and trying to help the team.”
Johnson got plenty of opportunities in Saturday night’s White Out game and made the most of them. In No. 16 Penn State’s 45-17 win against Minnesota, Johnson set two career highs with five catches and 75 yards, as well as an 18-yard touchdown catch that put the Nittany Lions up 17-3 in the second quarter.
Tyler Warren had a 38yard touchdown catch and Brenton Strange chipped in a 5-yard pickup, but it was Johnson who stood out among the Nittany Lions’ tight ends.
“He played really well,” Franklin said of Johnson. “We expect that from him, I’m happy for him and he has that type of ability.”
Earlier in the week, Johnson mentioned that he had been watching tape from Minnesota’s game against MichiganState “very closely.” From what he saw on film and based on Penn State’s game plan, he believed there were going to be some opportunities for the tight ends to be significant contributors not only as blockers, but also through their air.
Franklin said that the tight ends were a “little bit of an emphasis” prior to Saturday’s game, but quarterback Sean Clifford had a hunch he’d be targeting Johnson and his fellow tight ends early and often, especially based on the Nittany Lions’ formations.
“Definitely knew that the tight ends were going to get involved heavily,” Clifford said. “We had a lot of 12 personnel in there tonight.”
The last time Johnson, Strange and Warren each had a catch in a game was last November in a 21-17 loss to Michigan. Unlike against Minnesota, the trio was much less effective on that late-autumn day in 2021, combining for 37 yards on six catches against a stout Wolverines defense. While Johnson was certainly the leader of the pack Saturday night, the tight ends were much more effective as a collective, racking up seven catches for 118 yards and a pair of touchdowns. For a positional group that Franklin has repeatedly said has some of the best tight ends in the country, the significance of having the whole group contributing wasn’t lost on Johnson.
“It’s great to see Tyler and Brenton and everybody be able to make plays,” Johnson said. “We’re hoping to just continue stacking games and prove it.”
Johnson wasn’t the only one excited about the tight ends’ performance. Clifford, who finished the night 23 of 31 for 295 yards and tied a career high with four passing touchdowns, said it was “awesome” to be able to find his tight ends as frequently as he did.
Of course, Clifford had a couple of favored targets Saturday night. One was receiver Parker Washington, who finally got his first touchdown of the year and had a season-high seven catches, and the other was Johnson.
“Theo’s a hell of a player,” Clifford said. “I thought that he made a lot of plays tonight.”
After dealing with an injury earlier in the season and not being much of a key cog in the passing game once he came back healthy, Johnson felt he wasn’t able to help the team as he’d like. The “good day” Johnson had against Minnesota will serve as proof of concept for him as he prepares for this upcoming Saturday’s difficult test against No. 2 Ohio State.
“I think that I still have plenty left in the tank,” Johnson said. “