Giants’ Saquon Barkley looks forward to facing Cowboys’ Micah Parsons, fellow Penn State product: ‘He’s a freak athlete’

Giants running back Saquon Barkley and Dallas Cowboys rookie linebacker Micah Parsons played for Penn State a year apart, but the two former Nittany Lions stars are close.

For the first time Sunday, Barkley and Parsons face each other, doing so as NFC East rivals in a 4:25 p.m. game between the Giants (1-3) and Cowboys (3-1).

Entering the Week 5 matchup at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Barkley gave a strong review of Parsons, whom the Cowboys selected with the 2021 NFL Draft’s No. 12 overall pick.

“Micah’s my guy,” Barkley said Thursday. “Actually, I was texting him when it happened and he was up there and, obviously, I saw the trade (when the Giants dealt with the Chicago Bears, out of the No. 11 spot). I’m happy for him. He got drafted to a great organization, a great team and he’s a heck of a player and I think he’s showing how special he is already and he’s only going to get better.

“He’s a freak athlete. You see clips of him playing defensive end and then you see him playing linebacker. You see him covering. You see just how fast he is running to the ball. He’s a special player. (I’m) happy for him that he’s having a lot of success and can’t wait to look forward going against him on Sunday.”

Parsons has gotten off to a fast start with the Cowboys, totaling 17 tackles (three for loss), 2 1/2 sacks (seven quarterback hits) and two pass breakups in four games.

Prior to opting out of his 2020 junior season at Penn State, Parsons racked up 192 tackles (19 for loss), 6 1/2 sacks, five pass breakups and six forced fumbles (one recovery) in 26 games from 2018-19.

Before Parsons, Barkley put Penn State back on the map as a three-year playmaker from 2015-17, attempting 671 rushes for 3,843 yards (5.7 average) and 43 touchdowns in 38 games.

“I kind of help recruited him to come to Penn State,” Barkley, whom the Giants selected with the 2018 NFL Draft’s No. 2 overall pick, said of Parsons.

“Obviously, (Penn State head) coach (James) Franklin and all those guys, (Penn State defensive coordinator/linebackers) coach (Brent) Pry and (Giants defensive line coach and former Penn State associate head) coach (Sean) Spencer did a really good job of helping me get there, too.

“So I knew him since he was 17, 18-years old and I was happy to see a guy from the area he’s from — he put a lot of hard work in to be able to come in the NFL and (is) slowly emerging as one of the marquee players in the NFL. I’m just happy for him.”