Now official, former Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons will continue toward the NFL and the 2021 NFL Draft, Penn State head coach James Franklin confirmed on Wednesday.
‘We had great conversation with Micah and both his mom and dad,’ Franklin told reporters during Penn State’s virtual media day. ‘I think there was a legitimate possibility for that to happen. But as we continued to talk, the timing of it made it challenging. That won’t be happening. We understand the decision. Just like we were on the front end, we’re supportive of the decision.
Parsons, who was one of the first big names to opt out of the upcoming college football season, had always appeared to be a long shot to return to campus although the door reopened following the Big Ten’s announcement that it was set to play football in 2020. Parsons’ original announcement came prior to the Big Ten’s own to then cancel the season.
Had Parsons opted to attempt a return, several hurdles would have remained for him to overcome in order to retain his eligibility. Even so, the question remained officially unanswered regarding a potential reunion in State College.
As the Nittany Lions begin practice leading up to a late October start, the absence of Parsons -who has been training in California- was a somewhat self-explanatory answer to the lingering thoughts that Parsons might opt back in.
Generally considered to be a Top 10 if not Top 5 pick among some draft experts, Parsons’ return would have come with a risk of injury and a fairly low reward relative to his future draft stock. Parsons’ initial announcement cited COVID-19 concerns surrounding himself and his still young son.
‘What was challenging was Micah had opted out pretty early and was really knee-deep in his training and what he was doing out West,’ defensive coordinator Brent Pry added, ‘It was a very tough decision, I’ll say that. Micah was pretty torn, and it drug on for a few days before it was official. I’m very thankful for what he did. It was awesome seeing him play in the blue and white and what he did for our defense. I’m going to be pulling for him each and every Sunday in the league.’
For Penn State fans, Parsons will leave State College having lived up to his billing, but a dominant performance in the Cotton Bowl and a solid supporting cast set to return in 2020 will leave many wondering ‘what if’ in the case of the Harrisburg native and what his junior season might have brought with it.
