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James Franklin shares value in the Peach Bowl for Theo Johnson and other NFL-bound players

Grant Bricker

By Grant Bricker

Published:

James Franklin understands how much value there is in players participating in the Peach Bowl with the NFL Draft on their minds.

One of the latest players to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft out of Penn State was star TE Theo Johnson. However, Johnson said that he’s going to be playing in the Peach Bowl against Ole Miss.

Franklin said that it’s a positive sign about the program and that Johnson is an example of players Penn State has had in similar positions before.

“I think it’s positive,” Franklin said about TE Theo Johnson playing in the Peach Bowl while declaring for the draft. “I think it’s more challenging than it’s ever been before… But Theo’s a great example of a number of guys we’ve had who’ve been in similar positions.”

Franklin used Saquon Barkley as an example. Barkley played in the Fiesta Bowl against Washington during his final season in 2017  before declaring for the NFL Draft. Franklin noted that there’s value in these bowl games for draft-eligible players and that Penn State is willing to work with them.

Grant Bricker

Grant Bricker covers the B1G for Saturday Tradition. His previous stops include the Williamson Homepage and Nashville Post.