Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1503568
W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 1 0 8 A U G U S T 2 0 2 3 TOP FIVE PLAYERS 1. Micah Parsons, linebacker There is nowhere else for this list to start. That is true even though the elite Harrisburg (Pa.) High prospect only played two seasons in blue and white before opting out when the Big Ten dithered over whether to hold a 2020 season amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Simply put, no member of the class wrecked games the way Parsons did. Presented with the fabled No. 11 jersey that had previously been worn by the likes of LaVar Arrington and NaVorro Bowman, he didn't start a single game in 2019 but led the Nittany Lions in tackles with 83, becoming the first freshman in program history to accomplish that feat. His performance earned him multiple Freshman All-America nods, and he was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection by the media. A year later, Parsons was even more dominant. He was a con- sensus All-American and became the first sophomore in Big Ten history to win the conference's Linebacker of the Year honor after leading Penn State in tackles (109), stops for loss (14.5) and forced fumbles (4). His decision to leave half of his eligibility on the table proved wise when he was selected by the Dallas Cowboys with the 12th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He has since been named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and is a two-time first-team All-Pro. Parsons fig- ures to be one of the league's domi- nant defensive players for years to come. 2. Jahan Dotson, wide receiver Dotson started 38 of 42 career games at Penn State before becoming a first- round pick of the NFL's Washington Commanders in 2022. The Nazareth, Pa., native saved his best for last. In 2021, he was a third- team All-American, first-team All-Big Ten selection and Senior Bowl invitee after catching 91 passes for 1,182 yards and 12 touchdowns. Those numbers all rank second in school history for a single season. Along the way, he set a single-game record by amassing 242 receiving yards in a 31-14 win over Maryland. Despite forgoing his senior season, Dotson ranks second at PSU in career receptions (183) and receiving touchdowns (25) and is fourth in receiving yards (2,757). He was also a special teams standout who stands first in single- season punt-return average (24.6 yards in 2020). 3. Pat Freiermuth, tight end A two-time team captain and eventual second- round draftee of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Freiermuth progressed during each season in blue and white, fin- ishing with 26 starts in 30 career games. He left Penn State as its all-time leader in touchdown receptions by a tight end with 16. That total is also eighth all-time in program history, regardless of position, and his 29-game catch streak is a program record for a tight end. During an injury-shortened 2020 season in which he caught 23 passes for 310 yards, Freiermuth became the first Penn State player to win the Big Ten Tight End of the Year award. He was an All-Freshman pick by The Athletic in 2018 and a second-team All-America choice by the American Foot- ball Coaches Association in 2019. Freiermuth also was a second-team All-Big Ten pick in 2019 and a first-team selection the following year. 4. Odafe "Jayson" Oweh, defensive end Oweh closed out his brief but impactful three-year Penn State career with his best season in 2020. He was a first-team All-Big Ten selection after making 38 tackles (6.5 for loss) and notching a pass breakup and quarterback hurry during the shortened Big Ten slate. His 10 tackles that year against Maryland stand as one of his best performances in blue and white. Oweh and Shaka Toney were the first Penn State defensive end tandem to earn All-Big Ten hon- ors since Courtney Brown and Brad Scioli did so in 1998. Oweh saw action in only 24 games at PSU, but that was enough for the Baltimore Ravens to select him in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. 5. Rasheed Walker, offensive tackle Walker was a two-time All-Big Ten pick, earning third-team honors in both 2020 and 2021. He was a regular at left tackle for the Nittany Lions, starting 32 career games over his final three seasons in blue and white. Walker had been thought likely to return for the 2022 season but instead opted to enter the NFL Draft and was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round. He made the roster and is getting set for his second pro season this fall. Pat Freiermuth made 26 starts in three seasons and set a school record for tight ends with his 16 touchdown catches. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL