Penn State adds three-star defensive back Josh Johnson to Class of 2025

Penn State is back up to 25 commitments in its Class of 2025, as the Nittany Lions picked up another commitment Monday with the addition of defensive back Josh Johnson. His announcement comes just over a week after he visited State College for the game against UCLA on Oct. 5. When he followed that up by decommitting from Louisville a few days later, it became clear that Johnson was serious about the Nittany Lions.

A three-star prospect from Ironton, Ohio, Johnson hinted back in June that he was close to committing to Penn State after taking an official visit June 7-9. However, he surprised many a few days later, announcing instead that he was committing to the Cardinals on June 14.

At the time, Penn State already held commitments from cornerbacks Daryus Dixson and Xxavier Thomas. Jahmir Joseph and Braswell Thomas have also since committed, but that never stopped Penn State from pursuing Johnson. In fact, it was the staff’s consistency throughout that ultimately played a big role in him realizing he should’ve committed to Penn State in the first place.

“Really, going back to the beginning, when they first started recruiting me, they were trying to build a different kind of relationship with me,” Johnson said. “They took their time through every aspect of this whole process. They really built our relationship all around family. Now, seeing how they’ve stayed on me and continued to stress that family atmosphere and what it can do for me, I do believe that’s the best place for me.”

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But it wasn’t just Josh who Penn State won over. Rather, it was their consistency with his entire family that helped get this over the line.

“I really appreciate the time they took to get to know my brother, to get to know my sister, my sister-in-law. They got to know everyone in my family,” Johnson said. “They showed that they genuinely really care. It’s not just about football with them. It’s just as much about life after football.”

“They’ve spent as much time learning about me as a person as they did as a football player,” Johnson went on to add. “They don’t just look at me as a football player. They know I’m someone trying to chase a dream and they want to do everything within their power to get me there. But not only that, they really showed me how important life after football is, too, and what being part of that Penn State family can do for me.”

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At 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, Johnson has the frame and athleticism to potentially help Penn State’s secondary in a few areas. His commitment comes a few weeks after they lost safety Antonio Branch to Colorado, but that won’t necessarily stop the staff from pursuing other safety prospects in the class down the stretch.

“They really see me as a defensive player who they can put out there and make plays,” Johnson said. “They see me at safety, corner or the nickel. They’ve talked to me about [the Lion position] before, too. They just want to get me there and find out where I fit best.”

Johnson is now the third player in the 2025 class that Penn State has flipped from another school. Linebacker Cam Smith was the first to make that decision in August when he switched from Duke. The Nittany Lions were then able to pull wide receiver Matthew Outten away from his commitment to Virginia Tech in early September.

Johnson is considered a high three-star prospect by On3, coming in at No. 41 nationally as a cornerback and No. 17 overall in Ohio for the Class of 2025. Last season was Johnson’s first full year playing varsity football. He finished with 64 tackles, four interceptions and two forced fumbles. For his senior year, he’s played in four games so far after missing a few earlier in the year. He currently has 27 tackles and one interception.