by: Cade Reed

James Franklin has landed his first commitment in the class of 2018, and it’s a big one.

Micah Parsons, a five-star defensive end from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (Central Dauphin) finally pulled the trigger and committed to Penn State on Saturday after multiple visits since the beginning of the season. Rumor has it that Parsons tried to commit during this year’s Lasch Bash, the annual barbecue Penn State Football hosts for its blue-chip recruits. Being that Parsons is only now just finishing his sophomore year in high school, Franklin rebuffed his commitment, telling him to wait it out and think it through. Time didn’t change anything for Parsons, who has had Penn State on his radar for a long time.

Parsons, a 6-foot-1, 225 pound sophomore, is the most highly ranked recruit to be brought in under Coach Franklin and his staff. Currently, he is ranked as the third best player in the country by 247 Sports. He is also ranked as the number one defensive end in the country, and the best player in Pennsylvania. Parsons was an AAAA all-state player as a freshman at Central Dauphin, an unimaginably difficult feat.

Long behind us is the recruiting strategy of Joe Paterno – only recruiting one class at a time. While this rewarded his teams handsomely through his tenure here, the internet age brought with it new recruiting tactics that left Paterno in the dust. Franklin’s ability to recruit on this level (Parsons has offers from five programs already, with more from every major program in the country surely to come) is a great sign for Penn State going forward.

You can watch Parsons’ dominant highlights here.

Welcome to the family, Micah!