Nobody knows for certain if there will be college football in 2020, but if Penn State plays, it will do so without All-American Micah Parsons.
In a video posted to social media Thursday, the Harrisburg native confirmed recent reports that he will opt-out of the 2020 season. Yahoo Sports first reported news of Parsons’ decision late Tuesday.
“While I felt safe with the health and safety standards as we returned to Penn State for workouts, the potential risk to the health and well-being of my son far outweighed my urge to play football this season,” Parsons said on Instagram, adding that he plans on graduating early and receive his degree in December.
Several scouts project Parsons to be a sure first-rounder in the 2021 NFL draft. Not too long ago, Parsons expressed excitement about Penn State’s upcoming season.
“Hearing that we’re coming back is a relief,” Parsons told reporters via Zoom in June. “It’s a relief because you want to play in front of fans. You want to have that type of environment.
“I hope that things can go back to normal. We’re just taking the next step forward to go back to normal. … We’re going to keep moving in the right direction, and hopefully, by the time the season comes, Beaver Stadium will be full and packed.”
Parsons, of course, couldn’t predict back then that the COVID-19 pandemic would continue to evolve and potentially impact the fall campaign. Since then, he’s watched several other athletes opt-out of playing and entire conferences and other schools decide against a season. Now he’ll turn his attention to draft preparation.
The Harrisburg native entered the Penn State program as a five-star recruit with high expectations. Parsons quickly exceeded those projections with a team-leading 83 tackles while only starting one game his first year. The season was enough to get him voted to the freshman All-American team.
“I am unbelievably proud of Micah and appreciative of how he has represented our football program, this University and the state of Pennsylvania,” Penn State coach James Franklin said in a statement. “... My job as the head coach of Penn State is to help everybody in our organization achieve their dreams and Micah is a great example. Micah and I have had many conversations about his NFL aspirations throughout the recruiting process and his time at Penn State; he is now ready to pursue those opportunities. I fully support Micah, his decision to opt out of the 2020 season and declare for the 2021 NFL draft.”
The 6-foot-3 245-pound linebacker, however, jumped off the page last season, totaling 109 tackles, five sacks, five pass deflections and four forced fumbles with one recovery. He was the first sophomore ever to be the Big Ten linebacker of the year award.
As if that wasn’t enough to catch the football world’s attention, Parsons erupted in the Cotton Bowl against Memphis. He posted 14 tackles with three tackles for loss and two sacks and flew all over the field to make plays in the Nittany Lions’ win.
The performance in the bowl game and the season brought a lot of praise coming toward Parsons. Former Steeler and current CBS commentator Bryant McFadden had high hopes for the Nittany Lions based on Parsons potentially returning in 2020.
“I’m rolling the dice with Penn State,” McFadden said on CBS Sports HQ to explain picking the Nittany Lions to win the Big Ten over Ohio State. “They return an abundance of talent on both sides of the football with the best defensive player in college football in Micah Parsons. He’s a top-three selection waiting to hear his name in the 2021 NFL draft.”
Parsons will still wait to hear his name, but he’ll be doing so without playing another game at Beaver Stadium.
“You’ve given me [the] opportunity of a lifetime to achieve my dreams and aspirations,” Parsons said of Penn State on his Instagram video. “I have made connections with my teammates that will last a lifetime, and for that, I will forever be grateful.”
Nubyjas Wilborn: nwilborn@post-gazette.com and Twitter @NubyjasW
First Published: August 6, 2020, 6:32 p.m.
Updated: August 6, 2020, 6:35 p.m.