All-American Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons opts out of season, declares for draft

Penn State’s Micah Parsons will opt out of the 2020 college football season and enter the 2021 NFL draft, the All-American linebacker announced in a video posted to his Instagram page Thursday.

“As I consider all my options for the 2020 season, I decided I needed to make a choice not for myself but my son and those dearest to me,” Parsons said. “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 outweigh my urge to play football this season.”

The 6-foot-3, 244-pound Parsons led the team in tackles during both of his seasons with the Nittany Lions. Last season, he was Big Ten linebacker of the year and a consensus All-American with 109 tackles and five sacks. He had 14 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles in a Cotton Bowl victory over Memphis.

He’s projected as a first-round NFL draft pick, perhaps going as a high as the top five.

Parsons, who began his statement by thanking Penn State and its fans as well as head coach James Franklin and defensive coordinator Brent Pry, said he will graduate in December.

“Before arriving on campus, I was only a kid from Harrisburg with a dream,” Parsons said. “My dream was to receive a degree from a prestigious institution and prepare for the opportunity to play at the highest level, the NFL. My opportunity has finally arrived.”

Parsons is the highest-profile college player to opt out of the 2020 season because of coronavirus concerns, but he is far from the only one. Miami defensive end Gregory Rosseau, who led the ACC with 15.5 sacks as a redshirt freshman last season, made his announcement Thursday, following Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley and Minnesota wide receiver Rashod Bateman.

On Wednesday, Penn State tight end Pat Freiermuth indicated via Twitter that he did not plan to opt out of the season.

Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour said in a video conference Thursday that she has discussed the issue with multiple athletes.

“They have been incredible in terms of the questions they’ve asked,” Barbour said. “I love that our student-athletes are engaging in lots of things. They’ve asked a lot of questions about testing, about eligibility, about the medical side of this. We’re just making sure we get them the very best available information.

“One of the challenges here, this is a virus that eight months ago we didn’t even know existed, scientifically. So the information is evolving and changing every day and every week. It’s a little bit of a challenge to keep up with that. But we’re just trying to get them the best information that is available and for them to make the decision that is best for them individually and for their families. I support each and every one of them. That’s what here for as educators to help them do that.”

Barbour said teams should have a better idea of which players will participate after Aug. 14, a deadline NCAA President Mark Emmert has set for the organization’s three divisions to set policies for eligibility and scholarships should seasons be truncated or players opt out or redshirt.

“I do think that’s a moment in time a lot of students are probably going to wait for,” Barbour said.