Penn State Football: 5 commits in 2018 class who’ll have instant impact

1. Micah Parsons, 5-star DE

Both linebackers Jason Cabinda and Brandon Smith are now gone, leaving a huge hole at middle linebacker. The coaches are hoping Micah Parsons can fill that role immediately.

Parsons is the crown jewel of Penn State’s 2018 class. The five-star recruit out of Harrisburg originally committed to the Nittany Lions in February 2016 only to open his commitment again in April 2017. He was highly sought after, but other schools most in contention were Alabama, Oklahoma, Georgia and Ohio State. Ultimately he chose to stay at home and re-commit to the Nittany Lions.

Parsons is listed as six-foot-three, 235 pounds and is versatile enough to play both linebacker and defensive end, the position he played in high school. James Franklin has already said he will start his collegiate career at middle linebacker and compete for the position despite being a freshman. Eventually he will probably put on enough weight to move back to his natural position along the defensive line. However he is going to be a big asset to fill in the need at linebacker right away.

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Franklin and the staff must have the confidence for Parsons to start at middle linebacker, the quarterback of the defense. It says a lot about the freshman and Nittany Lion fans should look forward to seeing what he can do this fall and beyond once he makes the transition back to defensive end.