BSD’s recruiting staff sat down for a roundtable on each prospect Penn State signed in the 2020 class. Coming in at No. 10 was three-star CB Joseph Johnson III.
What makes you excited about Joseph Johnson?
“Length is a great commodity in football, especially at cornerback, and Johnson has length. At 6-foot-2, Johnson brings excellent length in the defensive backfield. Johnson is also a plus athlete with long range speed and has all the potential in the world. It would not surprise me to see Johnson as an All-B1G performer one day.” --Marty
What worries you about Joseph Johnson?
“I know he has the long speed, but at 6-foot-2, how will Johnson handle when forced to deal with wideouts who can stop and change direction on a dime? He’ll need to be physical to be successful against those types of guys at the next level.” --Clay
Do you think Joseph Johnson will be redshirted next season? Around what point of his career do you think he pushes for meaningful playing time?
“I previously wrote a longer response saying that Johnson’s redshirt case was 50/50 — but then Tariq Castro-Fields came back. With TCF, Keaton Ellis, Marquis Wilson, Donovan Johnson, Joey Porter Jr., and Trent Gordon at cornerback, I think Penn State will have the luxury to redshirt Johnson.
Plus, Johnson could use the year to develop physically. At 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, he’s rail thin.” --Patrick
What is your projection for Joseph Johnson: depth provider, starter, multi-year starter, all-conference, all-american?
Clay: Multi-year starter
Marty: Multi-year starter
Patrick: Starter
Lastly, where do you have Joseph Johnson ranked in Penn State’s class?
Clay: 6th
Marty: 8th
Patrick: 15th