Blue White Illustrated

P enn State hosted two of its top remain- ing Class of 2018 targets, defensive ends Micah Parsons and Jayson Oweh, for its game against Georgia State last month. One week prior, both Parsons of Harris- burg, Pa., and Oweh of Blairstown, N.J., used their 8rst o:cial visits of the season to check out Ohio State's game against Oklahoma. That made it all the more im- portant for James Franklin and the Nit- tany Lion coaching sta9 to host the pair only a week later. "Overall, it was a good experience, a good visit," said Terrence Parsons, Micah's father. "He and Franklin had a good talk and they hugged and every- thing. We've always had a good relation- ship with those guys." Parsons, who stands 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, decided this past summer to try to enroll early at the school of his choice. He's been taking extra classes, but his fa- ther said that as of September it was still unclear whether Harrisburg High would be able to accommodate his wishes. "No one has ever graduated from Har- risburg early, so we're really just waiting to see if the school can make this happen," Terrence Parsons said. "He's got the classes he needs and is taking a math class at the local university, but no one has ever done this at Harrisburg, so people at the school are still looking into everything. "He also would have to 8nish up and do his senior project, but with his SAT score and his credits, he's in good shape. It's mainly just about Harrisburg and if they can make this happen." Because his school plays all of its home games on Saturdays, it does not appear as though Parsons will be able to take his full allotment of o:cial visits. His most re- cent visit – and possibly his last – was to Nebraska on Oct. 7 for its game against Wisconsin. The Cornhuskers got o9 to a poor start this season, falling to Oregon on the road and Northern Illinois at home. When athletic director Shawn Ei- chorst was 8red in September, specula- tion inevitably turned to football coach Mike Riley, with many observers asking whether his job was in jeopardy, too. And if Nebraska is looking less likely as a potential destination, so, too, is Ohio State. The Buckeyes appear to have backed o9 in their pursuit of Parsons in recent weeks, a move that some analysts have said makes the Lions the favorites to sign the nation's sixth-ranked overall player. Parsons is planning to make a verbal commitment in the next few weeks. "Right now, his plan is to commit in No- vember a;er the Cumberland Valley game [Nov. 4]," Terrence Parsons said. "He'll then sign in December during the early signing period. So, if he sticks with that plan, it's going to be hard to squeeze in other o:cial visits. "I know Georgia is a school he would like to take an o:cial visit to, but at this point, it's looking hard with his schedule and their schedule. Time is a bit short now, and we're trying to get this over and done with." As for Oweh, his recent visit for the matchup with Georgia State gave him his 8rst chance to experience the Lions' game day atmosphere. His head coach, Jim Saylor, said that Oweh was impressed with what he saw in Beaver Stadium. "I think he thought it was just amazing," Saylor said. "The crowd and the whole student section were singing, dancing and supporting the team throughout the en- tire game. I think he really took it all in. … I think he really enjoyed the atmosphere and everything throughout the stadium." Over the past year, Oweh, who stands 6- 5, 240 pounds, has earned more than two dozen scholarship o9ers from a list of schools that includes Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin. Penn State, Notre Dame and Ohio State have emerged as his top three, although Michigan also recently o9ered. His next visit will be to Penn State on the weekend of Nov. 17-18 when the Nittany Lions host Nebraska. Notre Dame is expected to earn a visit a;er the season, and Oweh may visit Michigan, too, before it's all said and done. Oweh is planning to announce his com- mitment Jan. 1 at the Under Armour All- America Game. It's not known which way he is leaning, but Saylor said Franklin and his sta9 have put themselves in a good position to earn his commitment, which could come before he publicly announces. "I think he loves the coaching sta9 and feels at home when he's [at Penn State]," Saylor said. "At the same time, I think he feels the same way at Ohio State. I know he loves Coach [Larry] Johnson, so he has a tough decision to make. But Penn State is absolutely a school that he's seriously considering. I think a;er the o:cial visit, especially with his parents joining him and spending some time with the coach- ing sta9, it'll de8nitely help him iron everything out. "A;er that, I still think he'll end up vis- iting Notre Dame. He probably won't be able to get there until a;er the season, be- cause we play all of our games on Saturday. Once he's able to do that, I think he'll know what's going on sometime in December and I wouldn't be surprised if he gave someone a silent verbal on the 8rst day of the early signing period. He'll then still an- nounce it at the Under Armour game. I've talked to some coaches, and with the early signing period this year, he could poten- tially hurt a program and hurt himself if he decides to wait until February. So, I think he'll be ready to go around then, which is smart. That's the right way to handle it." ■ PSU looks to defensive ends to round out class | PARSONS OWEH

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