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cident. It was later announced that the Nittany Lions had dismissed the three- star defensive end for a violation of team rules, and that decision appears to be final. "We appreciate Brandon's contri- butions to the program and wish him success in the future," the team said in a statement announcing his departure. OUTLOOK Not much has changed here. Taylor had been expected to redshirt, so his loss won't drastically impact Penn State this fall. Elsewhere, the Lions ap- pear poised to welcome back all the players who were set to take the field had the season started in September. The two players whose Penn State future was being debated were ends Jayson Oweh and Shaka Toney. Oweh in particular has been generating some NFL Draft buzz despite a slender college resume that in- cludes just one start to date. But as of this writing, he and Toney appeared set to return, giving Penn State a very for- midable pass-rushing duo. And, as is the case at several other po- sition groups, the extended off-season could end up helping Penn State in at least one intangible way, in that this unit, too, is adapting to a new position coach. John Scott Jr. would no doubt have preferred a normal off-season with a normal spring practice, but these days, you take what you can get. Having a few extra weeks to prepare can't hurt. LINEBACKER WHAT WE SAID IN AUGUST "Two of last year's three starters need to be replaced, but even so, there isn't a lot of off-sea- son intrigue at this position group. Sure, it's unclear whether Brooks or Luketa will take over at the Mike spot, and the Sam position will be a battle between Smith and Dixon. But no matter how those competitions play out, the expec- tations here are sky high." – Nate Bauer WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE On Aug. 6, junior linebacker Micah Parsons became arguably the highest-profile player in the country to announce that he would be sitting out the season. A consensus All-American after leading the Nittany Lions in tackles last year, Parsons said in announcing his decision, "My dream was to receive a degree from a presti- gious institution and prepare for an op- portunity to play at the highest level, the NFL. My opportunity has finally arrived. As I considered all of my options for the 2020 season, I decided I needed to make a choice not for myself, but for my son and those dearest to me. While I felt safe with the health and safety standards set as we returned to Penn State for work- outs, the potential risk to the health and wellbeing of my son far outweighed my urge to play football this season." Parsons, who is on track to graduate in December, leaves Penn State as the 43rd consensus All-American in school his- tory and the program's first since Saquon Barkley in 2017. Last year, he be- >> T hat Micah Parsons won't play an- other snap at Penn State is some- thing Brent Pry is still getting used to. The All-America linebacker an- nounced in early Au- gust that, due to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on his close family, he would opt out of any 2020 Penn State football season and concentrate instead on preparing for the 2021 NFL Draft. Days later, the Big Ten presidents and chancellors announced a postponement of all fall sports, and while they later rescinded that deci- sion, announcing plans to play an ab- breviated season beginning in late Oc- tober, there were no indications as of this writing that Parsons might recon- sider. That realization has left Pry with mixed feelings heading into his fifth season as the Nittany Lions' defensive coordinator. "It's still hard to push past the idea of Micah not donning the blue and white, making plays in Beaver Stadium again. His career got cut short in our eyes," Pry said during a recent appearance on the Penn State Coaches Show. "I'm ex- cited for him, I'm proud of him, and I know the future holds great things for him. "But I'm just as excited when I walk in our linebacker room. These guys are long and fast and explosive. I've got a good, mixed set of talents. And there's a lot of competition. There really is. And there's still some age in there. With Jesse [Luketa] and Ellis [Brooks], those guys have been in some battles and have some big moments and they've got some age on them and they're leading this younger group. I'm excited about the room. There's a good mix of talent and a heavy dose of com- petition, and that usually comes out pretty good." Parsons' exit has created an oppor- tunity for the linebackers who remain. The original plan had been for Parsons to play the Will outside linebacker spot, with redshirt sophomore Charlie | Pry lauds Nittany Lions' versatility at linebacker PRY

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