Penn State pass rush needs to step up after Micah Parsons opts out of 2020 season

Penn State will need to figure out how to compensate after Micah Parsons declared.

While Sean Clifford at quarterback, Pat Freiermuth at tight end, and James Franklin on the sidelines, Penn State will have as good a shot as anyone at dethroning Ohio State in the Big Ten. Unfortunately, that pursuit took a major hit when linebacker Micah Parsons, considered to be the No. 1 linebacker in the 2021 NFL Draft, announced he will skip the 2020 season due to concerns about the coronavirus.

The Nittany Lions, seeking for a new leader on defense, might have to lean on their talented duo of pass rushers to beef up their defense, as Shaka Toney and Jayson Oweh hold the keys to Penn State’s defense once again ranking near the top of the Big Ten.

Shaka Toney and Jayson Oweh need to become stars for Penn State.

Toney recorded 6.5 sacks in his junior season, but will have to take on a featured pass-rush role after Yetur Gross-Matos was drafted. Oweh had just five sacks, but he has been the subject of apocryphal tales of his otherworldly athleticism.

Oweh has been reportedly clocked with 4.33 speed in a 40-yeard dash. While Oweh’s speed and Toney’s refined pass rush repertoire give them a high ceiling, the fact that the pair mustered just 1.5 combined sacks against teams that were ranked raised questions about how they can perform against NFL talent.

As good as Clifford is, Penn State won’t compete if their defense remains as patchwork as it looks right now.

Toney and Oweh are more sizzle than substance, but both of them have the potential to have a Parsons-like impact on this defense. If one of them is able to fill the large shoes vacated by Parsons and Gross-Matos, now with the Carolina Panthers, the Nittany Lions might have a legit shot at the Big Ten title.