What is Penn State getting in defensive back Josh Johnson?: Commitment impact

Penn State added its 25th verbal commitment in the Class of 2025 and first of October when the Lions landed senior defensive back Josh Johnson on Monday. The Ironton, Ohio native was previously committed to Louisville, but head coach James Franklin’s team has long been involved in this recruitment.

It did not win out the first time around but did the second time. How did Penn State ultimately end up with Johnson’s pledge, and what will he bring to the Nittany Lions down the road? We break it down in a new commitment impact.

1. How it started

Penn State was the first program to invite Johnson to a game, doing so in November of 2023. However, it was not the first program to offer him. That honor goes to MAC school Toledo, which opened Johnson’s FBS recruitment on Nov. 17, 2023. The Nittany Lions were not far behind, though. They offered a day after his visit and have been a mainstay in this recruitment ever since. Since last year, 21 programs would join the mix before Johnson made his first commitment to the Cardinals back on June 14, 2024.

2. Who else was involved?

Johnson never put out a list of top schools. However, Penn State was always among a select group of programs that had his attention. Michigan, Michigan State, and West Virginia all welcomed him to campus for a junior day event last winter. So did Louisville and Penn State, and both programs hosted him for official visits last spring, too. Iowa and Arkansas were also scheduled to host him for an official visit, but he never made those trips.

3. Path to a decision

As noted above, Johnson decided to end his recruitment after taking 48-hour all-expenses-paid trips to see the Cardinals and Nittany Lions. He saw the ACC school the weekend of May 31 and the Big Ten program the weekend of June 6. After that, he told BWI he was ready to decide. At the time, all indications pointed to Johnson picking Penn State. But, when decision day arrived on June 14, he picked the Cardinals.

PSU, of course, was undeterred. It worked behind the scenes to remain a player in Johnson’s recruitment. That, and defensive back Antonio Branch’s decision to flip his commitment from Penn State to Colorado on Sept. 23, ultimately led to PSU ramping up its push and Johnson to take an unofficial visit to State College for the win over UCLA. It set in motion his decommitment from Louisville, which happened on Oct. 9. Days later, he ended up where many thought he would all along by committing to Penn State, which is the school that hosted him more than any others over the last two years.

“I never really lost contact with them,” Johnson told BWI last week when asked about Penn State. “They’ve always been in touch and were letting me know that they love me and that they love what I can do. They still believe Penn State is the place that would be best for my future.”

4. What is Penn State getting in Johnson?

Johnson is listed at 6-foot-2, 185 pounds. Per MaxPreps, he has 27 tackles this season in addition to an interception and two pass breakups over four games. He is the No. 946 overall player in the On3 Industry Rankings for the Class of 2025, the No. 82 cornerback, and the No. 35 player in the state of Ohio.

However, On3 rates him much higher than the industry at No. 41 nationally at cornerback in his class. Despite where he’s ranked, Johnson projects as a possible safety at Penn State or maybe someone who could fill the ‘Lion’ role in Tom Allen’s defense.

“He’s such a good tackler and has such a good frame that he’s a strong candidate to play the Lion position for Penn State if he develops that way,” BWI film analyst Thomas Frank Carr says. “His cornerback skills, foundational understanding of coverage, tackling skills, and mean-spirited approach make him an exciting prospect as the ultimate hybrid player.

“If Penn State sees him the same way, he could fill a critical need in this class and push him up the value chart beyond his recruiting profile.”

5. What has he said about the Nittany Lions?

Johnson spoke highly of Penn State following his October unofficial visit to campus.

 “They’ve spent as much time learning about me as a person as they have as a football player,” Johnson told BWI. “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.”