Gators, Jackets turn up interest in OL

Some players take a laid back approach to the summer and wait for schools to initiate contact with them.

That’s not the M.O. for Thibodaux (La.) lineman Michael Parenton.

“I’m trying to get out and get as much exposure as possible because I’m not a big name blue-chipper or anything like that,” said the E.D. White center. “I’ve got to prove myself with my work ethic, technique and all the little things. I’ve had a great summer so far doing that. I’ve held my own with a lot of great players.”

Parenton (6-3, 294, 5.15) has camped at Ole Miss, Tennessee, Georgia Tech, Florida and LSU. He’s headed to Notre Dame this weekend.

“I won the outstanding pass blocking award at Florida,” he said. “I went head-to-head with (Emanuel) Dunbar, who won the outstanding pass rusher award. That guy’s a freak, an awesome athlete. I think he’s got something like 28 offers, but I won two out of three matchups we had. I left there with a lot of confidence. Florida told me they were going to stay in touch and that they’d do everything they could to keep me away from LSU.”

He noted that Georgia Tech is also showing high interest.

“When I left there, coach Gailey and their offensive line coach were giving me a lot of attention,” Parenton said. “They were asking a lot of questions about who was most interested in my so far, who had offered, all that. They said they wanted to get some more film on me.”

In addition to the schools he’s camped at thus far, Parenton is receiving attention from UCLA and Southern Miss. He’s got offers from Tulane, Northwestern State and Nichols State.

“I don’t have a favorite right now,” he said. “I just want to take some more visits, get my name out there, and find the best fit for me on and off the field.”

Academically, Parenton maintains a 3.82 GPA and has scored a 25 on his ACT.