Austin Johnson Drafted by Tennessee

Austin Johnson is heading to Tennessee. One of Penn State's dominant defensive tackles in this draft, Johnson was selected with the No. 43 pick. He will line up next to another Penn Stater in DaQuan Jones on the Titans' defensive line.

Johnson was a member of Penn State's 2012 recruiting class. A former three-star recruit, Johnson redshirted his freshman year and went on to crush fools for the next three years. For his career, Johnson ended up with 154 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, and four fumble recoveries. One of those recoveries went for a touchdown in one of the highlights of Penn State's 2015 season. As a senior, Johnson was an All-Big Ten selection by a number of publications.

Congratulations, Austin! Here's to hoping that Penn State's gargantuan man in the center of its defensive line goes on to have a long and productive career in the NFL.

Update: James Franklin and Sean Spencer released statements on the Titans drafting Johnson. Here's Franklin:

"We couldn’t be happier for Austin. After graduating from Penn State in just three and a half years, he is ready to move to the next level. With his size, strength and great footwork, Austin has the ability to fit a 3-4 or a 4-3 defensive scheme, which not a lot of guys can do. I can see him being a fantastic contributor for the Titans. It’s also great to see him reunited with his good friend and former teammate DaQuan Jones."

And here's Spencer:

"AJ is a true student of the game with a really high level of intelligence football-wise. He is a freak athlete. The combination of being 6-4, 315 pounds, moves like a cat with tremendous power at the point of attack and an unbelievable ability to make moves in short quarters makes me believe that his next step is going to be tremendous. He is going to be a great pro and I look forward to the future for AJ."