Blue White Illustrated

came the first sophomore to be named the Big Ten's Linebacker of the Year. In his final game with the Nittany Lions, he tied a career-high with 14 tackles, in- cluding three tackles for loss, two sacks and two forced fumbles in the team's Cotton Bowl victory over Memphis. His dominant showing against the Tigers makes this decision sting just a little bit more, as it appeared to foreshadow a po- tentially huge junior campaign. Before announcing his plans to sit out, Parsons had been on watch lists for the Butkus, Bednarik, Maxwell, Nagurski and Lott IMPACT awards. After the Big Ten announced that it was going to play this fall, there had been some talk of Parsons returning. Several other Big Ten players who had previously opted out, including Ohio State corner- back Shaun Wade and guard Wyatt Davis, Minnesota receiver Rashod Bate- man, Purdue receiver Rondale Moore and Michigan offensive tackle Jalen Mayfield, opted back in when the fall season was reinstated. Franklin didn't sound hope- ful, exactly, that Parsons would join those players in returning to college football for one more season, but he was careful to leave the door open. "Micah, as well as others, wouldn't be in this situation if it weren't for the cir- cumstances we're under," Franklin said. "I don't think that anybody – the NCAA, the Big Ten, Penn State specifi- cally – can put this back into the same box that it's always been in, because nothing right now is like it's always been. So we'll see. As you know, I'm a positive guy, so I'm going to try to see if there's a way we can work it out and get him back here if it's in everybody's best interest, most importantly Micah's." As of this writing, Parsons had not re- turned to practice and appeared unlikely to play. His disinclination to play this fall makes sense given the timing of his original announcement. When Parsons opted out in August, the Big Ten was still five days away from announcing its move to put everything on hold. In a separate development, redshirt freshman outside linebacker Lance Dixon was one of four players who were hit with misdemeanor charges after po- lice found marijuana in their on-campus apartment. OUTLOOK Players of Parsons' caliber don't come around all that often, so this is obviously a huge loss. But the Nittany Lions do have options here. One option would be to slide junior Jesse Luketa into the starting Will outside linebacker spot. The former four-star prospect had been expected to challenge Ellis Brooks for the Mike linebacker job, but he's physically very similar to Parsons at 6- foot-3, 241 pounds, and he's got the nec- essary skill set for the job, as he showed last year while totaling 24 tackles as Par- sons' backup. If Luketa does end up moving to the Katshir behind him. In the middle, Brooks and Luketa were set to battle for the spot vacated by the graduated Jan Johnson, while Brandon Smith and Lance Dixon vied for the Sam posi- tion. But Pry said that Katshir is now get- ting reps at the Mike spot, adding that "there's a decent chance that's where he ends up playing." The former three- star prospect from Camp Hill, Pa., "just has got a high football IQ ," Pry said. "And he's gotten bigger, he's got- ten stronger. I feel good about him learning that spot. … I'm excited about Chuck. His time is coming. I think he's the sleeper of the group. He hasn't been talked about quite as much, but he's overcome some minor injuries and he's gotten bigger and stronger, and I think he's ready to have a good season for us." With Katshir's shift inside, Luketa has moved to the Will and appears poised to start there. Meanwhile, Smith remains atop the depth chart at the Sam spot, with Dixon backing him up. Both are able to play both the Sam and the Will, and Pry said he's pleased with what he's seen from the two second-year play- ers. "These guys aren't so big-eyed any- more. It has slowed down for them. They understand the package better," Pry said. "In fact, they both have played Sam and Will and are kind of flipping back and forth right now. I feel good about them at either spot. "They're actually able to maximize their abilities and play the game fast and reckless, like they did in high school. It's getting that guy that we signed back, and I just couldn't be more excited about those guys. They're long. They're talented. And they're growing into their position. That's what you hope happens in the off-season, and we're getting that done." In addition to the contingent of es- tablished linebackers that the coaching staff has assembled, Penn State also could see early contributions from a fast-riser in the true freshman class. Said to be "strong and fast" upon his arrival at PSU this past summer, Curtis Jacobs has impressed Pry and the rest of the coaching staff "He's an exciting guy. He's so versa- tile. He's a wideout, he's a safety, he's a rush guy, he's a 'backer at the second level. In camp, we were watching him go toe to toe against Micah and Jesse and some of those guys and win some of those battles," Pry said. "He's confi- dent. He's got a good football IQ. He's actually learning Sam and Will in his first run on campus here, so I think his future is very bright. "I see him along the lines of Lance and Brandon. He may not be quite as long as those guys, but his athleticism is special. The game comes very easy to him." ■

• Cover