Penn State Football: Parsons, Johnson make for bright 2019
The two leading tacklers for Penn State football return for next year. Micah Parsons and Jan Johnson busted out for 135 total tackles in the regular season.
“Linebacker U” searched for new players to standout after the graduation of many solid starters over the last few seasons. Penn State football freshman and strong side linebacker Micah Parsons proved his all-world, five-star hype true, racking up a team-leading 69 tackles, four tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble in his true freshman year. He became a major piece of the youth movement on defense and the newest member of “Linebacker U”.
Parsons recorded five or more tackles in nine games and regularly made his presence known with eye-popping, sideline-to-sideline speed and power. When he got to backs or receivers, he blasted them and energized Penn State’s defense, seeing the athletic freshman make plays. It’s his top-line speed, star-studded pedigree and play that has comprised a long list of fantastic Penn State linebackers.
With that said, “Linebacker U” is made up of players wth five stars to zero stars and that’s what makes the story of Jan Johnson so fantastic. In addition to Parsons’ arrival, Johnson filled another void at middle linebacker.
The former walk-on earned a scholarship this year after blossoming as the team’s primary leading tackler through the first few games. I wrote earlier in the year that he made a major leap in his game. He entered this year with just 14 career tackles and ended the regular season with the second-most on the team with 66 total tackles in 2018.
His production came in big moments and it showed with 11 stops against Appalachian State, six against Illinois and an interception to stifle an Illini offense that was moving most of the first half on the Penn State defense.
Next. Penn State Football: KJ Hamler enjoyed breakout season in 2018. dark
The two linebackers may have achieved Penn State football stardom on two totally different routes, but they give Penn State a bright future to look forward to. The defense has been much-improved over the course of the season, and it started with the development of these two linebackers.