Penn State Football: Parsons, Freiermuth nabbed as All-Americans

The offseason accolades continue to roll in for Penn State football players, this time in the form of ‘Way-Too-Early All-Americans’ for TE Pat Freiermuth and LB Micah Parsons.

Penn State football fans know that Pat Freiermuth is good. We also know that Micah Parsons is the best linebacker in college football. The rest of the country seems to be figuring that out as well and we’re on in January.

Freiermuth chose to stay in Happy Valley for another season instead of opting for the 2020 NFL Draft and he enters as the leading returning player in receptions (43), yards (507) and touchdowns (7) through the air. He may not have broken a long play here or there but he consistently broke tackles after the catch and poses an incredibly safe set of hands over the middle for Sean Clifford.

He was selected as ESPN’s Way-Too-Early All-American at the position:

"Even though he was a true sophomore, Freiermuth was eligible to make himself available for the NFL draft because he was three years removed from high school. (He did a postgraduate year in Massachusetts after graduating.) The 6-foot-5, 256-pound Freiermuth will be a major part of the Penn State offense in 2020 after catching 43 passes a year ago, including seven for touchdowns. He’s equally effective as a run-blocker, making him a tough matchup for any defense."

His versatility will pay dividends for him at the next level when he does make the leap to the NFL but until then, Penn State football fans get to witness what experts have now pegged as the likeliest player to unleash the best season from a tight end in 2020.

Parsons, on the other hand, is widely recognized across the industry as already having one of the best seasons from a linebacker for his efforts in 2019. He led the Nittany Lions in tackles with 109 total attempts and even brought down five sacks with five more pass breakups to his credit.

He’ll have to fill big shoes with some losses on defense, namely that of Cam Brown at linebacker with him, but he has all the chops to do so. ESPN had this to say about Parsons and his 2020 outlook:

"At times, Parsons might have flown under the radar the past two seasons, but not any longer. He was everywhere in Penn State’s Cotton Bowl win over Memphis with 14 tackles (including two sacks) and two forced fumbles, and he returns in 2020 as one of the top all-around linebackers in college football. The 6-3, 245-pound Parsons is an impact player on every down and one of the surest tacklers in the game."

The offseason accolades continue to fly in not just for the 2019 season but projecting towards the future.

Which Nittany Lions would you expect to join Parsons and Freiermuth on the All-American list once the season is over?