As Penn State offense turns to tight ends, Theo Johnson delivers

STATE COLLEGE — Theo Johnson’s emergence as a big-play weapon in the Penn State offense is one of the big storylines of the Nittany Lions’ stretch run.

There was never much question about the third-year tight end’s physical skills, which were on display throughout No. 11 Penn State’s 35-16 victory over Michigan State on Saturday at Beaver Stadium.

The 6-foot-6, 260-pounder has been timed at 4.51 in the 40-yard dash.

But Johnson, from Windsor, Ontario, missed the first two games of the season with an undisclosed physical issue. After he returned, it took time for Johnson to get on the same page with veteran quarterback Sean Clifford.

During Penn State’s last five games, Johnson has been a force, catching 17 passes for 281 yards and four touchdowns.

Johnson caught all three targets for 62 yards and scored two touchdowns in the first half vs. Michigan State, one from Clifford (11 yards) in the first quarter and one from wideout KeAndre Lambert-Smith (48 yards) on a gadget play in the second quarter.

“Every time we repped it (the Lambert-Smith throw) in practice, it’s been great,” Johnson said.

“I don’t think I’d want anyone else from the receiver position throwing me the ball.”

Johnson also threw the key block on true freshman running back Nick Singleton’s 12-yard touchdown catch with 4:31 left.

It was the biggest play of the game, with the Lions clinging to a 21-16 lead and the offense faced with a fourth-and-2 situation.

Clifford threw a short pass to Singleton, aligned with Johnson and two other teammates on the left side.

Singleton broke free after a springing block from Johnson and scored the Lions’ fourth touchdown.

“I think that’s another play that we’ve repped quite a bit, and we’ve had it called earlier in the season,” Johnson said. “I saw the corner was a little soft, in off-coverage, and I knew that, based on how he played me earlier in the game, he was going to try and run straight through me.

“I knew I had to have my feet under me and I had to make sure I finished the block so Nick could go into the end zone.”

Blocking was a big offseason focus by Penn State’s tight end group after the Lions’ running game struggled in 2021, averaging 3.2 yards per attempt.

It’s been a different run game this season with Singleton and fellow freshman Kaytron Allen combining for 1,771 rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns. The Lions averaged 4.8 yards per attempt in the regular season.

The improvement by the tight ends — Johnson, Brenton Strange and Tyler Warren — as blockers has helped open holes for the freshmen.

“I think (the improvement) has been big, ever since (tight ends coach) Ty (Howle) came in,” Johnson said. Howle is a former Penn State offensive lineman.

“He brought in kind of a different perspective of blocking for us. He’s pretty confident in our abilities in the pass game, so a lot of our focus at times is tailored toward the run game and making sure that we’re good there, just because of how big our role is.”

The trio of tight ends also has combined for 12 touchdown receptions in 2022. Warren caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Clifford in the third quarter Saturday.

And the 10-2 Lions, who are potentially in play for a New Year’s Six bowl, will continue to lean on their tight ends with No. 1 wideout Parker Washington out for the season with an undisclosed injury.

They are all gifted, but only one of them runs like a wideout.

“I think that was probably the most open I’ve ever been, probably the easiest touchdown that I’ll ever have,” Johnson said of his 48-yard touchdown catch on Saturday.