How big of a project would it be for UGA to sign 5-star Micah Parsons?
Where does he fit in? What would it mean for elite guys like KJ Henry and Adam Anderson that are also looking closely at the Bulldogs? What about the trio of hybrid edge players that are already committed to play for “The Wolfpack” in 2018?
Of all that, I really have no idea. Not yet. That is a jambalaya of moving pieces. Even for a recruiting guy.
It does not appear that Parsons will choose UGA, but DawgNation has gathered enough material to present a few reasons why he might ponder a future in Athens.
Start with strong academics as the base. Mix in snaps at DE and OLB as the rice. Stir in a few looks at running back like they were plump Gulf Coast shrimp.
Simmer. Finish it all with a few 5-star relationships as the Old Bay.
That’s the recipe behind how Georgia has gotten his attention. He is planning another trip to Georgia this fall.
If that happens, that’s when all of this starts to become relevant in my mind.
Why Micah Parsons?
It sounds sort of like the Michael Douglas “Greed is good” way of going about recruiting the nation’s elite. The UGA point of view does seem like that “Wall Street” method.
Parsons will be welcomed into any class at any time. At multiple positions. He is simply that good. He rates as the nation’s No. 1 weak-side DE for 2018. That 247SportsComposite also rates him No. 5 overall and it is important to take a good look at all of that.
- Parsons ranks above 5-star UGA commit Zamir White
- He is rated higher than ginormous 5-star OL target Jamaree Salyer.
- That’s higher than any other legit UGA target outside of Justin Fields.
- Penn State and Nebraska are the strongest contenders for Parsons as of now. Ohio State, despite everything on Twitter of late, might still be.
Parsons has a top 4, but that list isn’t public. He did recently tell Landof10’s Tyler Donahue he’s planning a trip to Georgia this fall.
There was at least one other unofficial visit made by Parsons and his family to UGA this year.
“They are real family oriented,” his father Terrence Parsons told Donahue. “How they laid it out [regarding academics], as a parent it’s what you want to hear,” Terrence said. “Basically, for you not to make it down there, you just have to come in there and say, ‘I’m not doing any work.’ ”
Fields got to know Parsons when they were committed to Penn State. Those two were at the spring game together in Happy Valley. They were part of the same class for about five months.
Could Parsons be one of those eight guys Fields felt might follow him to his eventual destination? The reality here is that is all just trying to connect dots. That’s scant conjecture at this time.
But a budding “PA to UGA” pipeline seems more substantial. That’s because two of Pennsylvania’s top prep players from last year (D’Andre Swift and Mark Webb, Jr.) are thriving for Georgia in the SEC as true freshmen.
Those trips will be hard to manage. His Harrisburg (Pa.) high school program plays a lot of their games on Saturdays.
The 6-foot-3, 235-pounder is getting a pitch from UGA that includes defensive variety and snaps at running back.
“Micah has repeatedly told me that Georgia is among the programs focused on his skills at linebacker,” Donahue told DawgNation.
The 5-star DE has tallied up seven rushing touchdowns through three games. It beefs up a stat line that lists more than 40 sacks and 60 tackles for losses heading into 2017.
He is also attempting to graduate early and enroll for the spring semester. If he can do that, that will be a first for someone coming out of his high school.