Big Ten Daily: Cowboys Rookie Micah Parsons Shines in Hall of Fame Game

Former Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons is already making plays for the Dallas Cowboys, five-star cornerback Cormani McClain includes Ohio State in top five and former Penn State defensive lineman Anthony Zettel announced his retirement from the NFL. Here's the latest from around the Big Ten.

Author:
D.J. Fezler
Aug 6, 2021 11:16 AM EDT

Former Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons only played the first quarter of the Hall of Fame Game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night. But even in limited time on the field, he made his presence known.

The first-round draft pick totaled three tackles and recovered a botched snap in the Cowboys' 16-3 loss to the Steelers. His fumble recovery came with 11:44 left in the first quarter.

It was the Cowboys' only takeaway of the night, and it led to the team's only points. The Steelers eventually scored 16 unanswered points in the second half to secure the victory.

Parsons was the No. 12 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft despite opting out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After the 2019 season, he was a consensus All-American and also earned Big Ten Linebacker of the Year honors.

Even in the first game of the preseason, he is already starting to make an impact on the Dallas defense.

"It felt good," Parsons told the Dallas Morning News. "It was bittersweet that I didn't get to play a lot. I felt like it was a good experience to get my feet wet and get a feel for the game. I made some mistakes; there were some good things. I am just going to build off for it."

5-Star 2023 Cornerback Includes Ohio State in Top 5

Cormani McClain, a five-star cornerback from Lake Gibson High School in Lakeland, Florida, announced his top-five schools Thursday afternoon. He included Ohio State alongside Florida, Florida State, Miami and Alabama.

McClain is a 6-foot-1, 165-pound prospect that is ranked as the 20th recruit in the 2023 cycle, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. He is the No. 3 cornerback in the class and rated the seventh-highest recruit in the state of Florida.

Before narrowing down his preferred destinations to five, McClain held offers from 25 programs. He had offers from includes Oklahoma, Penn State, Michigan, LSU, Kentucky and Michigan State, among others.

McClain has not been on an official visit to any school, and he has not yet announced when he will commit.

Former Penn State Defensive Tackle Announces NFL Retirement

Anthony Zettel announced his retirement from the NFL on social media after five seasons of playing professionally. The former Penn State defensive lineman played for five teams during his career.

“I believe passion and energy is an essential part of being a leader and elite athlete,” Zettel wrote on Instagram. “I have always said that when you lose those components, it is time to find something different that motivates and inspires you. Today I share bittersweet news that after much deliberation and reflection, I have decided to walk away from the sport that has given me so much over the years.”

Zettel, who turns 29 on Aug. 9, was a sixth-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. He spent three seasons with the organization before playing for Cleveland, Cincinnati, San Francisco and New Orleans.

Zettel tallied 76 tackles, 7.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in his five-year career.

Before playing in the NFL Zettel posted 119 tackles, 38 tackles for loss and 20 sacks in four seasons at Penn State. He also finished his collegiate career with 20 sacks, 14 pass deflections, four interceptions, two forced fumbles and one defensive touchdown.

Following the 2014 season, Zettel was named a first-team All-Big Ten lineman as a junior.