Penn State Football 2018 Player Profile: LB Micah Parsons

A fun portion of Penn State football’s roster lies with the freshmen. For instance, true freshman linebacker Micah Parsons worked his way into the rotation.

It took one game for Penn State football fans to realize what kind of player they had in Micah Parsons. The true freshman linebacker enrolled early and got to play in the first spring of his college career. The hype surrounding this beast of a five-star prospect proved all real, as he rolled up a game-high eight tackles and a sack in the Blue Team’s 21-10 win.

In that game, he first showed an ability to adapt. Parsons played on the defensive line as a preps player, so it was impressive to see his range carry over quickly to linebacker. Next, his lateral speed showed up in a big way. In pass coverage, he managed to fly to the football when passes were dropped off in check downs.

For example, running back Christopher Welde felt the full force of Parsons wrath. He caught two quick swing routes out the backfield and was swarmed under quickly by a chasing Parsons.

Watching his high school film, everyone could see he’d translate almost immediately into a talented backer. His burst off the line was college-ready in high school. He ran down plays from the opposite side of the field and embarrassed offensive lineman.

Although his size fit to defensive end in high school, his 6-foot, 237-pound body made sense in the middle of a defense. His prototypical size and lightning-fast agility make him the perfect linebacker. Paired up with guys like Koa Farmer and Cam Brown, this defense will run roughshod with its collective speed.

Coming into his Penn state career a lot of fans expected him to play immediately. He ranked out as the fifth overall prospect in the country playing at Harrisburg High School. He put up some absurd numbers, racking up 245 tackles, 42.5 sacks and 64.5 tackles for loss over his high school career.

Must Read: Penn State Basketball: Tony Carr to sign overseas

That production translated well in his first collegiate action. There’s no doubt, he’ll continue to make plays as the season progresses and become a superstar at “Linebacker U.”