Report: Penn State's Micah Parsons will opt out of season, declare for NFL draft

Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons will opt out of his junior season and declare for the 2021 NFL draft, Yahoo Sports reported Tuesday night.

Parsons, a 6-foot-3, 244-pound Harrisburg native with an uncommon mix of speed, size and athleticism, could be the top defensive player taken in the draft.

According to the Yahoo report, sources close to the Penn State program said Parsons will announce Wednesday that he is opting out, barring a last-minute change of heart.

Parsons led the team in tackles in his first two seasons at Penn State. Last year, 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.

A handful of top players, including Minnesota wide receiver Rashod Bateman and Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley, have opted out of the 2020 season as conferences struggle with how to play major college football during a pandemic. Parsons would be the highest-profile player to opt out.