Penn State’s Micah Parsons has joined the list of college football players that will not be taking part in the 2020 season. Parsons made it official through an Instagram video post on Thursday.
The video was framed as an open letter to the school and the team, as well as Penn State fans. The defensive star, who was a five-star prospect out of high school, is considered one of the top prospects for the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft.
In the video, Parsons said that he went to Penn State with every intention of finishing his college career. He touched on his lifelong desire to get a degree from a prestigious university, but in the end, the situation in the country made him decide not to play football this fall.
Parsons said the decision to sit out was because he realized he needed to make a very important decision. He said he arrived at the decision not just because it was what he wanted, but because he had to think about the needs of his young son. He added there are others that are close to him that he needs to look out for as well.
Parsons added that he felt the health and safety provisions the Nittany Lions put in place for the team were handled well and he didn’t feel as though he was in any danger. He did say when thinking about his son, he felt it was better not to put him in any kind of harm’s way.
The star player said that with his son at the forefront of his mind, he decided he would not play in the upcoming season. Instead, he will rest up and get ready for the 2021 draft.
He did add that he plans on graduating early, in December, so he will be getting a degree from a prestigious university.
Parsons announcement came on the same day that Miami Hurricanes star Gregory Rousseau also decided to opt-out. While Parsons will graduate before he officially goes pro, Rousseau was slated to enter his redshirt-sophomore season with the Hurricanes.
In 2019, he dominated the ACC with 54 total tackles and 15.5 sacks. Manny Navarro of The Athletic reported the news on Twitter . One question that remains when it comes to Rousseau is whether he’s opting out for the rest of his college career, or simply won’t participate in 2020.
Both players join Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley and Minnesota wide receiver Rashod Bateman in a growing list of those who have decided not to play this year due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.
