Penn State running back Journey Brown could miss the 2020 season because of a medical condition discovered during the offseason, the team confirmed Monday night.
Brown started 10 games for Penn State last season, rushing for a team-high 890 yards and 12 touchdowns on 129 carries. He ranked third in the Big Ten in rushing touchdowns and fifth in rushing yards.
In a statement, Penn State said Brown, a redshirt junior from Meadville, Pennsylvania, is receiving treatment for the undisclosed condition. Brown told reporters Oct. 1 that he had considered skipping the 2020 football season but wanted to play one final year before moving on to the NFL.
“Journey Brown is being treated for a medical condition discovered during the offseason and will potentially miss the 2020 football season,” the school said in a statement.
The 5-foot-11, 217-pound Brown set a Penn State bowl record with 202 rush yards in the team’s Cotton Bowl win against Memphis. He also set a team bowl record with 12.6 yards per carry in the game.
Eighth-ranked Penn State, which opens the season Saturday at Indiana, likely will turn to sophomores Noah Cain and Devyn Ford in Brown’s absence. Cain and Ford combined for 737 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2019. The Lions also signed ESPN 300 recruit Caziah Holmes in the 2020 class.