5 players to watch this spring No. 1 linebacker Micah Parsons
By Marty Leap
With the start of Penn State football spring practice less than a week away, I will be taking a look at five players to the last of which is linebacker Micah Parsons.
The prized jewel of Penn State’s 2018 recruiting class was Harrisburg High School star Micah Parsons. On top of being a 5-star recruit, Parsons was one of the top-10 players in the country by every recruiting service. And, in my opinion, he was the best high school football player in the country, regardless of class, this past fall.
After a whirlwind recruitment, Parsons signed with Penn State on December 20 after previously de-committing from the Nittany Lions. Additionally, Parsons enrolled at Penn State in January and has been on campus and engrossed in the football program for three months now.
When it comes to sheer talent and physical ability, Parsons is the most gifted defensive player Penn State has had since at least LaVar Arrington. If not for Saquon Barkley, he would be the most physically gifted player, regardless of offense or defense, since Arrington.
Micah Parsons has freakish speed and athleticism for his size. At six-foot-three, 241 pounds Parsons can play defensive end or any linebacker spot for Penn State. To start the spring Parsons will be at MIKE linebacker for Brent Pry and he will have an excellent shot at winning the starting job there.
Even if Parsons ends up being the starting MIKE linebacker in the fall, look for him to play a stand-up pass rushing role on third downs and in obvious passing situations. Parsons possesses elite pass rushing skills and is borderline unblockable when he comes off the edge.
During winter workouts, Parsons was often times singled out by Brent Pry on Twitter as the top performer among the linebackers. Look for this to continue to be true throughout spring practice and into the summer. Not only is Parsons freakishly athletic he is also incredibly driven.
Next: Player to watch this spring: Lamont Wade
When it comes to Micah Parsons the question isn’t if he’ll play a big role on defense for Penn State in 2018, the question is what role will he play. Combine this with Parsons being the most freakishly athletic player Penn State has had on defense in almost 20 years, and the true freshman is the top Penn State football player to watch this spring.