Penn State Cornerback Out for the Season

Penn State cornerback Donovan Johnson will miss the 2020 season because of an injury.

Penn State cornerback Donovan Johnson will miss the 2020 season with an undisclosed injury, a team spokesperson confirmed Saturday. The injury occurred earlier this summer, according to a team statement.

The website Lions247 first reported the news.

Injuries affected Johnson's career at Penn State significantly, contributing to him playing in just two games last season. But the redshirt junior returned to compete for a starting job in Penn State's defense this season, and cornerbacks coach Terry Smith was hopeful that Johnson would remain healthy.

"He played a lot of football until his injuries," Smith said this spring. "Unfortunately for him, the last two seasons have been hard with injuries. But prior to that, he was right there in the mix."

Johnson played in 12 games as a redshirt freshman in 2018, making a career-high four tackles against Michigan State. He made four tackles last season against Pitt but did not play again for the remainder of the season.

Earlier this spring, fellow cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields said he was eager to see Johnson play again.

"Donovan brings that toughness," Castro-Fields said. "He can tackle, he plays physical, he just brings toughness to the game, and we need that in the cornerback room."

Penn State began training camp Friday. It is scheduled to open the 2020 season Sept. 5 against Northwestern at Beaver Stadium.

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