Parsons gives high praise to LB
PSU star linebacker thinks the freshman lining up next to him could be better
Before announcing himself as a 2020 Heisman Trophy contender, Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons explained why a freshman might be even better.
“Brandon [Smith] has the most athletic ability in the [linebacker] room,” Parsons said in December. “He has the outright most potential. He has a chance to do great things while I’m here and after I’m gone. His opportunity here is a great one.”
Though it loses two starting linebackers to graduation, Penn State has high expectations for the position next season, largely because of Parsons and Smith.
Parsons dominated the Cotton Bowl, making 14 tackles and forcing a game-changing interception that led Penn State to a 53-39 victory.
Smith, meanwhile, played in all 13 games as a freshman, building a reputation as one of the defense’s most ferocious hitters. Carrying what defensive coordinator Brent Pry called a “rare combination of size, speed and explosiveness,” Smith is part of an athletic young group that includes Ellis Brooks, Jesse Luketa, Lance Dixon and Charlie Katshir, all of whom return in 2020.
Parsons and Smith, though, stand out. Two days before the Cotton Bowl, Parsons and Smith sat in one of the Dallas Cowboys locker rooms at AT&T Stadium, exchanging compliments. They discussed how to approach different blocking schemes and how to generate leverage against 325-pound linemen.
Parsons, the Big Ten’s linebacker of the year, has shown exceptional aptitude for both in just his second year playing the position. Further, he might be Penn State’s best all-around athlete, one who could play running back, grab minutes on the basketball team or even wrestle heavyweight for coach Cael Sanderson.
And yet Parsons couldn’t stop raving about Smith, the linebacker from Virginia who arrived at Penn State with a plan “to be great.” Like the Big Ten Network’s Matt Millen, who called Smith a “natural linebacker,” Parsons said he’s in awe of Smith’s ceiling.
“He doesn’t even realize it but, [with] his outright athleticism, I think he’s the most athletic one in the [linebacker] group — even more athletic than me,” Parsons said. “And he doesn’t even realize some of the things that he does yet. Once he gets all his body control, I think he’s going to be one of those guys who’s like, wow.”
That description applied to Parsons last year, when he began playing linebacker for the first time in his
career. Pry brought Parsons along deliberately, allowing him to learn the position behind an established fifth-year senior in Koa Farmer, while adding more game reps each week.
Last season Parsons not only led on the field (with 109 tackles) but also produced a broader body of work off it.
“He’s beginning to understand the game better and where the weaknesses are, so he’s coming off the field and giving me some intelligent feedback on what he’s seeing,” Pry said after the Cotton Bowl.
“That’s a big improvement over last year.”
Smith said he has learned plenty from Parsons as well, particularly regarding offensive linemen.
Smith already has developed a reputation as one of Penn State’s most physical tacklers but had to learn a different method for attacking linemen.
Parsons worked him through it.
“He’ll just basically tell you what’s on his mind,” Smith said. “Who he is is who he is, to be honest with you. It’s funny being around him. I look up to him. We play different positions, but some things he does really benefit me.”
In Smith, Parsons said he sees a linebacker capable of covering ground that he might not find. He also raved about Smith’s pass-coverage skills, his speed and his hitting power, particularly against big linemen.
Then Parsons delivered a prediction.
“Once he learns to utilize all those tools, he’s going to be one of the best ones yet,” Parsons said.