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Penn State DC confident Micah Parsons the best defensive player in college football heading into 2020 season
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Micah Parsons ended his All-American season with a bang!
The star linebacker for Penn State has been a consistent contributor all season long. Headed into Saturday’s Cotton Bowl, Parsons had 95 total tackles with 11 for loss, three sacks, and two forced fumbles. He also saved his best for last.
In a game dominated by offense, Parsons proved to be one of the best players on the field between Memphis and Penn State. In the win over the Tigers, Parsons had 14 tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, two pass breakups, and a quarterback hurry. He was awarded Defensive MVP honors as a result.
RELATED: Penn State’s Journey Brown, Micah Parsons named Cotton Bowl MVPs
After the game, Parsons’ defensive coordinator, Brent Pry, had some pretty high praise for the linebacker. Pry said Parsons is a player that simply rises to the occasion when called upon. He also believes Parsons is the best defender heading into the 2020 season of college football.
Sam Khan Jr. with ESPN shared Pry’s comments:
“On the biggest stage, he’s going to play his absolute best,” Pry said. “That’s just who he is. He’s always risen to the occasion in any competitive moment, and he did that today.”
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“You’re going to have to show me a defensive player that’s better than Micah Parsons going into the next football season,” Pry said.
Based on Parsons’ output and raw talent, it’s hard to disagree with Pry’s assessment. The only question now is how good can Parsons become in 2020?
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.