Theo Johnson continued the recent Canada-to-State College pipeline in 2020, joining Penn State as the third-best tight end in his class and 63rd overall player. While he mostly waited behind future NFL tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Brenton Strange as a freshman, he managed to see some time and caught four passes for 56 yards. He took on a bigger role in 2021 and began flashing his big play ability, including a four-game streak where he had a reception of at least 20 yards.
After missing some time with minor injuries early in 2022, Johnson came back with a bang for the final five games of the season.