Virginia Tech football: Micah Parsons to Blacksburg?

Micah Parsons was the most-talked-about defensive player in the NFL for the 2021 season. The 2021 first-round pick finished his rookie season with 64 tackles, 13 sacks and three forced fumbles.

Parsons was so good as a rookie; he received a rare honor when named first-team All-Pro this week. Parsons was named to the Pro Bowl last month and is a lock to win NFL defensive rookie of the year next month. He will also be a finalist for NFL defensive player of the year.

Not bad for a rookie, especially one who didn’t play football in 2020.

So, why are we talking about Micah Parsons on a Virginia Tech site?

Well, as you may know, Virginia Tech’s new head football coach came from Penn State. Brent Pry recruited Parsons to Penn State and coached him for the two seasons he played in Happy Valley. The two are close, and when Pry was named Virginia Tech’s head coach, Parsons congratulated his former defensive coordinator via Twitter.

After Parsons earned his All-Pro nod this week, Pry reached out to Parsons on Twitter, congratulating him on the prestigious honor.

Parsons quickly responded to his former coach, telling him, “Love you, coach!! I’m ready to come see the Hokies for you.”

Wow. How big of a recruiting tool would that be to have Parsons on the sideline for a game in Blacksburg next fall? Schedule a big recruiting weekend with some of your top targets in town for visits and see Parsons on the sideline rooting for his former coach and the Hokies.

Will it happen? Maybe not, but hopefully, someone gets in Pry’s ear to tell him what a unique recruiting advantage this would be for the Hokies. In the grand scheme of things, it’s small, sure, but these things matter in today’s landscape. Parsons is one of the league’s hottest players. He’s fun to watch and extremely good. He also plays for the league’s most recognizable team.

It’s a significant selling point for Pry that he coached with and has a relationship with Parsons. Now, he needs to get him to Blacksburg.