James Franklin and his staff are once again recruiting one of Canada’s top prospects.

Class of 2020 tight end Theo Johnson first burst onto the scene this summer when he attended Penn State’s final prospect camp at the end of July. The Windsor, Ont., native put in one of the best performances not only that day, but the entire summer. As expected, Franklin and tight end coach Tyler Bowen wasted little time offering a scholarship.

“When I stepped on campus there, I just got a different feeling compared to all the other camps I attended,” said Johnson. “When I got to walk into Beaver Stadium and see the field, you just instantly understand that this is big-time football. That was a feeling I’ll never forget.

“But when it came to the camp, I thought it was really good. I enjoyed working with Coach Bowen that day. He was a real cool guy. We worked hard, but we also joked around and kept things loose. Then, I got to meet with Coach Franklin in his office after the camp. I kind of knew something good was coming, but I was still really pumped when I got an offer from him. Penn State is as big as it gets, so it was a big day for me.”

Back in September, the Nittany Lions and other programs were allowed to begin initiating conversations with high school juniors. Since then, Johnson said that he’s been in regular communication with both Bowen and Franklin.

“Me and Coach Bowen have been talking every week. We usually get on FaceTime to chat about their game that weekend, how they plan to use the tight ends, stuff like that. We also talk about my weekend and how I’m doing, that kind of stuff,” he said.

“Whenever we FaceTime, he gets me on the phone with Coach Franklin, too. One thing Coach Franklin always asks about is how my mom is doing. She really appreciates that. So I feel like I have a pretty good relationship with Coach Bowen already and Coach Franklin, too. I’m definitely comfortable with them and my mom sure loves those guys, too.”

This past weekend, Johnson was on campus again to watch Penn State’s 30-24 win over No. 16 Iowa. While the weather was poor, the rain may have actually helped Penn State in some ways, as it gave Johnson a feel for just how dedicated its fans are.

“For me, I’ve always watched big games on TV and you can get that feeling when you’re watching a great atmosphere on TV,” said Johnson. “But if there’s one thing I really took away from this visit, it’s that these kinds of atmospheres are totally different in-person. When you’re there, it’s so much louder and intense. With the weather the way it was, I was thinking that there wouldn’t be a lot of people and stuff, but there was still a ton of fans there. It was a great atmosphere. I could definitely see myself playing there.

“But maybe what stood out to me the most was just the fans and their dedication. Coming into the stadium, you see hundreds of RVs and people sitting out in the rain just to tailgate. It really showed how dedicated their fans are.”

In addition to Penn State, Johnson also camped at Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Syracuse this summer, as well as multiple MAC schools. This season, he’s seen games at Cincinnati, Notre Dame and Toledo and is now set to see another big game this weekend when he travels to Ann Arbor for Penn State’s showdown with Michigan.

For the time being, Penn State, Boston College, Cincinnati and Syracuse are the four biggest programs to offer a scholarship, but it’s only a matter of time until other FBS programs join the race for his signature.

“I would say that Michigan State is showing a lot of interest. I thought I had probably my best camp there,” Johnson said. “Also, Michigan is showing a lot of interest, too. And then I’d probably say Miami is another school. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know Coach [Todd] Hartley at Miami, so we’ll see. I feel like all three of those schools are seriously interested.”