Penn State's Johnny Dixon Will Not Play in the Peach Bowl

Coach James Franklin said the Nittany Lions' starting cornerback is not with the team in Atlanta.
Penn State's Johnny Dixon Will Not Play in the Peach Bowl
Penn State's Johnny Dixon Will Not Play in the Peach Bowl /

ATLANTA | Penn State cornerback Johnny Dixon will not play in the Peach Bowl, coach James Franklin said Friday. Dixon, a starting cornerback in 2023, became the second Penn State football player to opt out of the bowl game. Defensive end Chop Robinson announced his decision prior to the team arriving in Atlanta for the Peach Bowl.

"Johnny Dixon is not with the team currently and so obviously we don't anticipate him playing in the game," Franklin said at the final media availability for the Peach Bowl.

Dixon, who has not made an official announcement, completed his eligibility at Penn State and will enter the 2024 NFL Draft. The third-team All-Big Ten selection was a pass-rush threat in the Nittany Lions' defense, leading the nation in sacks by a cornerback (4.5). Dixon made 5.5 of his 26 tackles for loss, forced a fumble and added one interception. He paired with fellow Penn State cornerback Kalen King in a secondary that ranked third nationally in pass defense.

Dixon and Robinson were two of Penn State's top playmakers this season, combining for 8.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss. In their absence, Penn State will rely on Dani Dennis-Sutton and Amin Vanover on the edge and Daequan Hardy and Cam Miller at cornerback, along with some younger players at both positions. Starting cornerback Kalen King is available for the Peach Bowl, though could play limited reps.

"We'll play all the other guys that have played this year," Franklin said. "They'll have a more significant role. I think that's going to be in some ways an opportunity, an exciting opportunity for them and for us. Obviously it's going to be challenging because the type of wide receivers and offense that we'll be playing, but these are the guys that we are also going to be depending on next season. So it creates some more opportunities in this game. We've embraced it with a next-man-up mentality. Again, we're not the only program that's dealing with a little bit of this."

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is Editor and Publisher of AllPennState, the site for Penn State news on SI's FanNation Network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs and three Rose Bowls.