Penn State Football: Top-25 players of the James Franklin Era
After redshirting in his first season on campus, Austin Johnson stepped into a role with the team as a redshirt freshman and never looked back. A freshman All-Big Ten selection, Johnson helped lead an incredible group upfront during James Franklin’s first season in Happy Valley and was an absolute nightmare for the opposition.
A product of Saint Augustine’s (NJ) Prep High School, Johnson burst onto the scene in his second season under Franklin, the 2015 campaign, one that saw him rack up 15 tackles for a loss. Also, Johnson posted 6.5 sacks, was named second-team All-Big Ten, and even had a 71-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown against San Diego State.
His 87 tackles that season were the most by a Penn State defensive lineman since Jimmy Kennedy in 2002, as he, Anthony Zettel, and Carl Nassib formed a dominant front for this Penn State defense. A second-round pick of the Tennessee Titans in the 2016 NFL Draft, Johnson reunited with teammate DaQuan Jones at the next level, and after four seasons in Tennessee, went back home to play for the New York Giants.