Parsons announced on Aug. 6, 2020, that he was forgoing his remaining eligibility at Penn State to focus on training for the 2021 NFL Draft.
CAREER NOTES & RECORDS
Career: Tied for seventh all-time at Penn State with six forced fumbles.
Season: Tied for fifth at Penn State with four forced fumbles.
2019 • SOPHOMORE SEASON
Awards: Postseason:Named a Consensus All-American by the NCAA...Tabbed Associated Press All-America first team...Claimed USA Today All-America honors...Selected All-America by ESPN...Named AFCA All-America first team...Claimed Sports Illustrated All-America first team...Garnered Bleacher Report All-America first team honors...Named Pro Football Focus All-America first team...Tabbed Sporting News All-America second team...Named CBS Sports All-America second team...Selected FWAA All-America second team...Tabbed to the Walter Camp All-America second team...Selected All-America second team by The Athletic...Named Phil Steele All-America second team...Voted the Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year in the Big Ten...Became the first sophomore in Big Ten history to win the Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year award...Selected All-Big Ten first team by the coaches and media...Garnered Pro Football Focus All-Big Ten first team...Named All-Big Ten first team by the Associated Press...Selected Phil Steele All-Big Ten first team...Named to the AP All-Bowl Team...Tabbed to the ESPN All-Bowl Team...Selected to the Sports Illustrated All-Bowl Team...Named the team's Most Valuable Defensive Player at the team's awards banquet...Earned All-ECAC Defensive honors...Was a finalist for the Butkus Award...Was a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award. Midseason: Named a Rivals Midseason All-American. Weekly: Named to the Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week first team following the Ohio State game (11/23)...Selected to the Pro Football Focus National Team of the Week second team and Big Ten Team of the Week first team following the Indiana game (11/16)...Named to the Pro Football Focus National Team of the Week second team and Big Ten Team of the Week first team following the Minnesota game (11/9)...Selected to the Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week first team following the Purdue game (10/5)...Named to the Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week second team following his performance vs. Pitt (9/14). Preseason: Tabbed to the preseason Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list.
Season: Appeared in 13 games, making 12 starts...Finished the season with 10 or more tackles in three straight games and six of the final seven games.
Rankings: Ranked fifth in the Big Ten averaging 8.4 tackles per game...Held sixth in the nation and third in the Big Ten with 0.31 forced fumbles per game.
Idaho (8/31): Recorded a solo tackle. Buffalo (9/7): Secured 10 tackles...Registered two tackles for loss. Pittsburgh (9/14): Collected nine tackles, including seven solo...Registered two tackles for loss...Added a pass breakup and a QB hurry...Selected as the Coaching Staff's Defensive Player of the Week. at Maryland (9/27): Secured two tackles. Purdue (10/5): Collected five tackles...Recorded two tackles for loss and a solo sack. at Iowa (10/12): Notched four tackles...Added a QB hurry. Michigan (10/19): Tied a career high with 14 tackles, including six solo...Eight of 14 tackles held Michigan to one or less yard...Named the coaching staff's Defensive Player of the Week. at Michigan State (10/26): Collected 12 tackles...Broke up a pass. at Minnesota (11/9): Secured 11 tackles, including six solo...Made two tackles for loss and a sack. Indiana (11/16): Recorded seven tackles, including five solo...Forced a fumble in the first quarter...Added a pass breakup and a QB hurry...Selected as the coaching staff's Defensive Player of the Week. at Ohio State (11/23): Registered 10 tackles, including five solo...Collected two tackles for loss...Forced a fumble in the third quarter...Recovered a fumble in the third quarter. Rutgers (11/30): Made 10 tackles, including three solo...Added a solo sack...Named the coaching staff's Defensive Player of the Week. vs. Memphis (12/28): Tied a career high with 14 tackles...Collected 10 tackles in the first half...Registered a career-high three tackles for loss and two sacks...Reached the 100-tackle mark, the first Penn State player since Marcus Allen in 2016...Forced two fumbles, earning first career game with multiple forced fumbles...Had a strip-sack in the first quarter and forced another fumble later in the quarter...Added a career-best two pass breakups.
2018 • TRUE FRESHMAN SEASON
Awards: Postseason: Selected Freshman All-America by The Athletic, 247Sports and ESPN...Was an honorable-mention All-Big Ten selection by the media. Midseason: Named to ESPN’s Midseason Freshman All-America Team...Selected Midseason Freshman All-America by 247Sports.
Season: Appeared in 13 games, including one start...One of 20 players to make their first career start...One of 16 true freshmen to make their collegiate debut...One of 40 players to make their first Penn State appearance...Against Rutgers (11/17), became the first Penn State freshman to start at linebacker since Cam Brown in 2016...Finished the season with a team-high 83 tackles, becoming the first freshman (true or redshirt) in program history to lead Penn State in tackles in a season.
Appalachian State (9/1): Made first career appearance...Assisted on four tackles and recovered an on-side kick. at Pittsburgh (9/8): Tied for a team lead with seven tackles...Helped to cause a fumble on a muffed punt in the second quarter. Kent State (9/15): Recorded five tackles...Assisted on one tackle for loss and contributed one QB hurry. at Illinois (9/21): Collected six tackles. Ohio State (9/29): Assisted on a sack...Added one QB hurry. Michigan State (10/13): Posted five tackles...Contributed one QB hurry. at Indiana (10/20): Registered eight tackles, including seven solo. Iowa (10/27): Made seven stops...Added one QB hurry. at Michigan (11/3): Posted eight tackles. Wisconsin (11/10): Recorded seven tackles. at Rutgers (11/17): Collected seven tackles...Had two tackles for loss, including a strip-sack in the first quarter. Maryland (11/24): Made four solo tackles...Had a solo tackle for loss. vs. Kentucky (1/1): Recorded a career-high 14 tackles, which ranks No. 13 in Penn State bowl history...Made one tackle for loss and forced a fumble on a strip in the second quarter...Added one QB hurry.
HIGH SCHOOL
Two-time letterman for head coach Calvin Everett at Harrisburg High School...Two-time letterman at Central Dauphin High School...Was a team captain as a senior...Helped the Cougars to an 11-1 record and perfect 6-0 league mark for a Mid-Penn Commonwealth Conference title in 2017...Part of a team that finished 11-4 on the way to a PIAA Class 5A runner-up finish in 2016...Selected to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl...Had two tackles, including 0.5 TFL, and a pass breakup for the East in the Army All-American Bowl...Participated in Nike's The Opening Finals and competed for Untouchable...Named the 2017 American Family Insurance National Defensive Player of the Year...Garnered All-USA Defense second-team accolades from USA Today as a senior...Was a finalist for the 2017 Mr. PA Football Class 4A-6A Award...Selected Mr. PA Football Lineman of the Year for Class 4A-6A...Named Pennsylvania Football News (PFN) Class 5A Defensive Player of the Year in 2017...Collected PFN All-Class 5A first-team honors in junior and senior seasons...Named to Pennsylvania Football Writers All-State Class 5A first team in 2016 and 2017...Garnered a first-team spot on USA Today’s All-USA Pennsylvania Football Team in 2016 and 2017...Chosen as PennLive’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2017...Selected 2017 Mid-Penn Conference Commonwealth Offensive and Defensive MVP...Garnered 2017 Mini Maxwell Award honors from the Maxwell Football Club...Named team MVP twice...Registered 55 tackles, 10.5 sacks and 17.5 TFL on defense, while adding 1,239 rushing yards, 99 receiving yards and 29 offensive touchdowns on offense as a senior...The 27 rushing scores tied for ninth in the state...Had 69 tackles with 20.0 TFL and 13.5 sacks as a junior...Recorded 121 tackles, 27.0 TFL and 18.5 sacks as a freshman at Central Dauphin...Tabbed a five-star recruit by all three major recruiting outlets – 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals...Ranked as the No. 5 overall prospect, No. 1 player in Pennsylvania and No. 2 weak-side defensive end by 247Sports...Ranked as the No. 7 overall recruit, No. 4 defensive end, No. 1 player in Pennsylvania and No. 2 prospect in the region by ESPN...Ranked as the No. 6 overall recruit, No. 1 outside linebacker and No. 1 prospect in Pennsylvania by Rivals...Lettered in basketball...Helped the Cougars to the District 3 Class 6A title in 2016-17.
PERSONAL
Full name is Micah Aaron Parsons...Son of Sherese and Terrence Parsons...Has one brother, Terrence, and one sister, Shatara...Majoring in criminology...Born May 26, 1999 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.