It has been a long road for five-star Micah Parsons. The Harrisburg, Pa. star picked up his Penn State offer, his first, around Thanksgiving three years ago. Parsons committed to the Nittany Lions in February of 2016 but opened up his recruitment again in late April of this year.

Ohio State was in the driver's seat once Parsons was back on the market but Penn State head coach James Franklin and his staff didn't give up. The Buckeyes faded and Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Georgia were all major contenders for Parsons but he felt destined to be at Penn State.

IN HIS OWN WORDS…

"I just wanted to be home with my brothers and bring back the glory," Parsons said. "I took all my visits and I'm glad to be back and committed.

"The coaches never gave up on me since my freshman year," he said. "I've had a few bumps and transitions and they never moved on from me. They always stayed in my corner and that means a lot.

"It means a lot to be close to home and know that my family, my friends, and my city are behind me," said Parsons. "That's why a lot of people stay home. I want to be the best athlete to ever come from Harrisburg. I can do that at Penn State.

RIVALS' REACTION…

After a tumultuous recruitment, Parsons has settled on Penn State as his choice and the Nittany Lions fans should be ecstatic. Parsons brings a lot to the table and should be able to see plenty of playing time as a freshman. On defense, Parsons is a defensive end/linebacker hybrid with great speed and pass rushing abilities. There will be a learning curve for him but it will be hard for the Penn State coaches to keep the early enrollee off the field once he learns the system. Parsons should be an immediate contributor on special teams and the staff might even give him a shot on offense.