Penn State adds top 100 prospect in DE Tomarrion Parker
Penn State picked up one of its most important commitments in the class so far Tuesday with the addition of Alabama edge rusher Tomarrion Parker. A four-star prospect, Parker’s relationship with the staff began in April 2021 when he earned an offer. He didn’t open up about the relationship too much publicly, but behind the scenes, the Nittany Lions were quietly among the schools he felt most comfortable with.
“The coaches at Penn State really showed me love since the day they offered me,” Parker told On3’s National Recruiting Director Chad Simmons. “They were very transparent to me about everything and I love it.”
With that said, most expected him to ultimately end up playing in the SEC. As recently as June 5, Parker admitted that Florida and Tennessee were considered the favorites in his recruitment. He even said that Michigan State, not Penn State, was sitting third.
Parker also had additional official visits lined up for after Penn State official, which took place this past weekend. Mel Tucker and his staff in East Lansing were planning to host him this upcoming weekend, June 24-26, while Florida had planned to host Parker for an official visit in October.
That all changed after just 48 hours in Happy Valley.
Related: Penn State commits recap fun official visit weekend
“The atmosphere at Penn State is surreal. The people brought me in and took care of me,” Parker said.
He added, “Penn State is its own town and the fans definitely show you love.”
Parker’s recruitment was led by defensive line coach John Scott Jr., but defensive recruiting assistant Alan Zemaitis deserves a lot of credit for this one, too. Cornerbacks coach Terry Smith also played an important role in getting this recruitment finalized.
Listed at 6-foot-4, 245 pounds, Parker is expected to be a defensive end for the Nittany Lions, although that could change if he continues to grow. With Jameial Lyons also committed, Penn State should end up signing two four-star players at the position. The staff does remain in the mix with a few other edge prospects, although focusing on the defensive tackle position will likely take higher precedence now moving forward.
Parker is now the third top-100 prospect to commit to Penn State in its Class of 2023, joining offensive linemen Alex Birchmeier and Jven Williams. The On3 Consensus ranks him No. 99 overall nationally, while our scouts rank him a bit higher at No. 71. Parker is a top-15 prospect at the edge position in both rankings.
With the addition of Parker, Penn State moves up two spots in the On3 Consensus Team Rankings to No. 7 overall nationally. The class if up to 14 commitments total, six of whom hold a four-star rating.
