? 2015 ? Junior Season
Awards: Selected second team All-Big Ten by the media and third team All-Big Ten by the coaches...Named to the BTN.com All-Big Ten squad...Named to ESPN.com All-Big Ten team...Earned first team All-Big Ten from the Associated Press and Athlon Sports...Was a part of the midseason Bednarik Award Watch List for the Nation's Defensive Player of the Year...Selected to ESPN.com's midseason All-Big Ten team...Selected as the Reid-Robinson Award winner for the team's most outstanding defensive lineman.
Season: Started 13 games...Ranked second on the team with 15.0 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks...Returned a fumble 71 yards for his first career touchdown (high school or college) vs. San Diego State (9/26)...Second among defensive linemen in FBS and third on the team with 78 tackles...Had most tackles for a Penn State defensive lineman since Jimmy Kennedy (87) in 2002...Graduated in December with a degree in journalism...One of 13 Nittany Lions to earn their degree in December...One of 17 Nittany Lions to have their degree at the TaxSlayer Bowl.
at Temple (9/5): Recorded six stops...Made a tackle for loss in the fourth quarter...Helped Penn State pile up 15.0 TFL, its most since posting 15.0 vs. Michigan on Sept. 22, 2007. Buffalo (9/12): Registered nine tackles to help the Nittany Lions hold the Bulls to 69 rushing yards, the fewest for an opponent since Illinois (68 yds.) last year...Had 2.5 tackles for loss, including 1.5 sacks...Posted a solo sack in the second quarter and combined with Garrett Sickels for a third-quarter takedown of Bulls quarterback Joe Licata. Rutgers (9/19): Recorded six tackles...Collected a fourth-quarter sack...Notched 2.0 tackles for loss for 11 yards...Part of a defense that held Rutgers to just three points, the fewest in a Big Ten opener since limiting Minnesota to three points in 1994...Helped limit Rutgers to 43 rushing yards, the fewest since giving up just 33 yards to Maryland last season. San Diego State (9/26): Had a 71-yard fumble return for a touchdown for his first career touchdown...Was his fourth career fumble recovery and Penn State's first fumble recovery for a touchdown since Mike Hull's 74-yard return vs. Navy in 2012...Recorded two tackles...Added 0.5 tackle for loss to assist Penn State amassing 9.0 TFLs in the game. Army (10/3): Recorded four tackles. Indiana (10/10): Logged nine tackles...Totaled 1.5 tackles for loss, including one sack...Helped snap Indiana's string of nine games in which the Hoosiers scored 20-plus points...Part of a defense that held Indiana to 234 yards of total offense, the fewest allowed by PSU since giving up 221 at Indiana in 2014...Played a major role in limiting IU to just 79 rushing yards, the second-straight B1G opponent with less than 80 yards rushing vs. Penn State...Was the coaching staff's Co-Defensive Player of the Week with Carl Nassib. at Ohio State (10/17): Made four tackles...Posted one pass breakup. vs. Maryland (10/24): Made nine stops, marking the third time this season he has recorded nine stops...Logged 1.5 tackles for loss. Illinois (10/31): Recorded five tackles, including a sack...Part of a defense that posted its first Big Ten shutout since blanking Minnesota in 2009 (20-0)...Helped hold Illinois to just 167 yards (37 rushing, 130 passing), the fewest allowed since holding Minnesota to 138 yards (37 rushing, 101 passing) in 2009...As a unit, the defense forced a punt on 12 of Illinois' 15 possessions, with two ending with a turnover on downs and the other halted by an interception. at Northwestern (11/7): Posted a career-high 10 tackles to tie for the game high...Recorded 2.0 tackles for loss to help Penn State record its 18th straight game with at least five tackles for loss...Logged 1.0 sack...The defense posted 10.0 tackles for loss, marking the seventh time this season and fourth straight game it recorded nine or more TFLs. Michigan (11/21): Recorded four tackles...Made 1.0 tackles for loss...Helped hold Michigan to less than 100 yards rushing, the fifth Penn State opponent that failed to reach 100 rushing yards (87 on 30 carries). at Michigan State (11/28): Made two tackles. vs. Georgia (1/2): Ranked second on the team with eight tackles, including four solo...Logged 1.0 sack, a fourth quarter takedown of Greyson Lambert for a loss of nine yards...Also registered 2.0 tackles for loss, including a stop of Keith Marshall for a loss of four yards on Georgia's final drive of the game, giving Penn State an opportunity to tie the score late in the fourth quarter.
? 2014 ? Sophomore Season
Awards: Named honorable-mention All-Big Ten by the conference media.
Season: Starter in all 13 games and now has 15 career starts...Finished fifth on the team with 49 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss (minus-18) and led the team with two fumble recoveries...Added three pass breakups...Tied for seventh in the Big Ten and 43rd nationally in fumble recoveries.
UCF (8/30): Opened the season with three tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss in the Croke Park Classic against UCF in Dublin, Ireland...Helped hold UCF to just 24 rushing yards on 29 attempts...Was a part of the goal line stand that held the Knights off the scoreboard on their second drive of the game. Akron (9/6): Had four tackles with 0.5 TFL...Helped hold the Zips to just 69 rushing yards, giving Penn State consecutive games allowing less than 70 rushing yards for the first time since 2009. at Rutgers (9/13): Made one stop...Part of a defensive effort that held the Scarlet Knights to no points, three first downs and 95 yards in the second half. UMass (9/20): Made two stops, including one for a loss...Had one pass breakup...Recovered his second career fumble and returned it 7 yards to set up a scoring drive that started in the UMass red zone...Helped the Nittany Lions hold the Minutemen to just 3 yards rushing, the lowest total allowed by Penn State since 2007 against Notre Dame (zero rushing yards). Northwestern (9/27): Totaled five tackles, including a 0.5 TFL...Recorded one pass breakup. at Michigan (10/11): Added two stops. Ohio State (10/25): Contributed four tackles...Was a part of a unit that held the Buckeyes to 17 points and 256 yards in regulation. Maryland (11/1): Logged six tackles...Posted a 10-yard sack...Was instrumental in limiting the Terrapins to 194 yards of total offense, the fewest total yards allowed against a Big Ten opponent since Minnesota (138, 2009). at Indiana (11/8): Contributed six tackles...Helped boost a defense that held the then-nation's leading rusher, Tevin Coleman, to just 71 yards...Helped the Nittany Lions shut out the Indiana offense, as the Hoosiers scored their fewest points at home since 2006, via a defensive touchdown. Temple (11/15): Registered four tackles, including one TFL...Added one fumble recovery and one pass breakup...Helped limit Temple to just 61 rushing yards and eight first downs, the fewest for a Penn State opponent since Indiana State had eight in 2011...Was selected the coaches' Defensive Player of the Week. at Illinois (11/22): Recorded five tackles...Added one quarterback hurry...Helped limit the Illini to 68 rushing yards and two-of-16 on third down conversions. Michigan State (11/29): Anchored a defensive front that held Michigan State to 298 total yards, marking the only time in 2014 the Spartans were limited to less than 300 yards of total offense. Boston College (12/27): Made a career-best seven tackles (four solo) in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium...Also had one TFL.
? 2013 ? Redshirt Freshman Season
Season: Appeared in all 12 games with two starts...Made his first career start against Kent State...Recorded 27 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, one sack and a fumble recovery.
Syracuse (8/31): Made his collegiate debut with one tackle in the neutral site contest at MetLife Stadium. Eastern Michigan (9/7): Logged a season-high six stops...Posted his first career TFL and sack, a combined sack with DaQuan Jones in the third quarter. Kent State (9/14): Made his first career start. UCF (9/14): Contributed three stops (two solo). at Indiana (10/5): Opened Big Ten play with three stops. Michigan (10/12): Made two hits, including 1.0 TFL, in the four-overtime win. Illinois (11/2): Made his second career start...Tallied two solo tackles. at Minnesota (11/9): Posted three solo stops...Logged 1.0 tackle for loss. Purdue (11/16): Registered two tackles...Added 0.5 sack...Recovered his first career fumble to set up a third-quarter touchdown run by Zach Zwinak. at Wisconsin (11/30): Made four tackles (three solo)...Added one quarterback hurry.
? 2012 ? True Freshman Season
Redshirt season.
? High School
A three-year letterman for head coach Dennis Scuderi at St. Augustine Prep...Named all-state, All-Cape-Atlantic League and All-South Jersey during his senior season...Helped the Hermits to the Cape-Atlantic League title during his final prep season...Was selected a team captain his junior and senior seasons...Earned second-team All-Cape-Atlantic League and second-team All-South Jersey as a junior...Invited to participate in the Chesapeake Bowl, All-Cape-Atlantic League All-Star Game and the New Jersey North-South Game...Ranked among the nation's top 25 prep defensive tackles by Scout.com...Also an all-state performer in basketball...Named Cape-Atlantic Basketball Player of the Year as a senior...Guided the Hermits to the NJSIAA Non-Public Group A State Championship during his junior season.
? Personal
Full name is Austin Hunter Johnson...Son of Austin and Tammy Johnson...Has two older sisters, Brandi and Erika, and one younger sister, Kennedy...Sister, Kennedy, is a sophomore forward on the Michigan State women's basketball team...Enjoys playing video games and lifting weights...Majoring in journalism...Born May 8, 1994 in Galloway, N.J.