Standout Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons is reportedly opting out of the 2020 college football season, according to Yahoo Sports' Eric Edholm. Parsons is set to become the third big-name college football player to opt out of the upcoming season—Virginia Tech CB Caleb Farley opted out on July 29 and Minnesota WR Rashod Bateman opted out on August 4.
Parsons had 109 total tackles (14 tackles for loss) and five sacks last season for the Nittany Lions. He had 82 total tackles and 1.5 sacks as a freshman in 2018. The reigning Big Ten Linebacker of the Year recently came in at No. 3 on the TDN Top 100 big board.
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Here are some excerpts from his scouting report. You can read the full report here.
PROS: Special athlete with special instincts. He moves at a different pace than the rest of the defense—pairing a fast trigger with explosive mobility and seamless transitions to flip and react out of his read steps. He's lightning quick off the edge and was a former defensive end in high school—so there's added rush value here that shouldn't be overlooked in his game. Parsons has played every role under the sun in Happy Valley and showcases the range, pass coverage ability, and pressure upside to play any off-ball role on the defense.
CONS: You'd probably like to see him more consistent as a tackler on stretch plays, but then again he's hitting landmarks to disrupt flow that many other linebackers wouldn't dream of. He's not overly exposed to turn and run coverage and there have been a few instances of teams getting athletic linebackers paired on him and successfully attacking him in coverage.
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