Penn State football: Is Micah Parsons a top ten LB in college football?
Micah Parsons is one of Penn State football’s best players. Is he top ten at his position within the NCAA though?
On a Friday morning in mid-July, the Penn State football official Twitter account published their daily reminder; how many days left until the Nittany Lions are back? At this point, kickoff is vastly approaching. As of Friday, there are 50 days left “until football.” The Nittany Lions Twitter account decided to use linebacker, Micah Parsons for the tweet.
Although Parsons’ number doesn’t have anything to do with 50 (typically, the number of days left matches with a player’s number), the star linebacker was Friday’s featured player. That just reminds all of us just how vital Parsons is going to be for the Lions 2019 season.
The Sophomore linebacker is primed for a big season. After contributing to the Lions’ defense as a true freshman, everybody can hardly wait to see what the Harrisburg native can accomplish during his Sophomore season in the NCAA. We know in Happy Vally that Parsons is on another level, headlining the team that is also known as ‘Linebacker U,’ but how is Parsons viewed amongst the national media nowadays? Apparently, we’re all on the same page.
Parsons is garnering some massive praise
During his first football season in the NCAA, Parsons made quite the name for himself. He led the Nittany Lions in tackles, with 82 total in a span of 13 games. He was an All-Freshman on multiple platforms and even received an honorable mention for being All-Big Ten. Last month, Parsons landed on a list, which predicted he would be an All-American in 2019. Now, he lands on a list that considers him a top ten linebacker in college football, according to USA Today.
"“In terms of pure physical gifts, Parsons is on another level. He flashed this athleticism in spurts as a true freshman; if not quite up to speed from a mental perspective — not surprising nor disappointing given his youth — Parsons made individual plays that speak to a skill set unmatched in the Big Ten. It’s just a matter of time before it all comes together. When it does, Parsons will be borderline unstoppable.”"
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USA Today’s Paul Meyerberg couldn’t quite put Parsons higher within the top five, but the Sophomore linebacker did crack the top ten at No. 9. Not too bad for a player who is only headed into his second season. Seeing as though Parsons came out of High School with a five-star rating, his burst onto the top linebacker scene is far from surprising. With a year under his belt, he should be mentally and physically prepared to take over college football in 2019.