Penn State may not be playing football this fall but the Nittany Lions aren’t short on first-team preseason Associate Press All-Americans. The AP released its annual preseason teams on Tuesday.
The Nittany Lions in question? Penn State junior tight end Pat Freiermuth and junior linebacker Micah Parsons. The news undoubtedly comes with mixed emotions for both players, Freiermuth was slated to return for this upcoming season and — as the placement suggests — was likely the best tight end in the nation if not among those in consideration.
For Parsons, he opted out of the upcoming 2020 season in early August citing COVID-19 concerns regarding his young son. Parsons’ decision came well before the Big Ten’s own eventual announcement that the season would be canceled with an attempt to play fall sports in the spring.
‘Micah and I have had many conversations about his NFL aspirations throughout the recruiting process and his time at Penn State,’ Penn State coach James Franklin said at the time. ‘He is now ready to pursue those opportunities. I fully support Micah, his decision to opt out of the 2020 season and declare for the 2021 NFL Draft. Again, I couldn’t be more proud of him and I am excited to see him play on Sundays in 2021.’
The Harrisburg native was likely a Top 10 pick prior to this season with a similar early-to-mid first round projection in the NFL Draft without a junior year under his belt.
As for Freiermuth, his future remains uncertain, although his general NFL future ought to be secure. The junior could opt to return next season in order to put some final games on tape, but the talented prospect is not getting any younger.
In either case Penn State adds two more accolades to its preseason honors list and while the announcement may be bittersweet for fans, it would be an appropriate sendoff for two talented players that had and [potentially still have] more to give in Happy Valley.
