Biography
2023: Parker was a defensive threat for the Cardinals all season, leading the team in tackles for loss (14.5), sacks (7), quarterback hurries (6), and forced fumbles (3). Nationally, he's No. 10 for forced fumbles, No. 16 in tackles for loss and No. 25 in sacks, helping the Cardinals to the 10 ranked total defense 312th ranked scoring defense. Parker had a season-high seven tackles and two sacks against Texas A&M – Commerce, with four tackles for loss at Northern Colorado. He was named to the Southland Preseason All-Conference First Team, Phil Steele Preseason All-Southland Team, Bluebloods Preseason All-Southland Team, while earning Southland Defensive POTW and FCS Defensive Player of the Week Honorable Mention. Phil Steele named him as the FCS Midseason Defensive Player of the Year and he was tabbed as a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award. He was named to the Southland First Team All-Conference. Dave Campbell named him Defensive Lineman of the Year for the 2023 All-Texas Non-FBS Team. Parker was named a 2023 FCS Football Central All-American as well a PFF 2023 College Football FCS All-American. Phil Steele named Parker to the FCS 2023 All-American Third Team and the Southland 2023 All-Conference First Team and the 2023 Southland Defensive Player of the Year.
2022: Parker was a crucial member of the Cardinals defense in 2022, providing an immediate impact coming off the edge. He finished the season with 48 tackles, 11 TFLs, 7 Sacks, 1 PD and 1 FR. Parker’s top performance came against Houston Christian on November 5, where he recorded 7 tackles, 2 TFLs, and 1 Sack. Parker recorded a sack in 7 various games throughout the season. Following the 2022 season, Parker was named as a 1st-team all-Southland Conference selection
2021: Saw action in 12 games for KU, totaling 11 tackles including 1 tackle for loss. Parker recorded stats in 6 games for the Jayhawks.
2020: Saw playing time in all nine of KU’s games this season … Earned starts twice, vs. CCU and at KSU … In a three-way tie for sixth amongst the Jayhawks with 27 total tackles on the season (20 solo, seven assisted) … Recorded 3.0 tackles-for-loss (of four yards) and hurried the opposing team’s quarterback on a single occasion. Coastal Carolina: Started his first-career game at linebacker in the Jayhawks’ season opener … at Baylor: Assisted on two tackles against the Bears, his first stats of the season … Oklahoma State: Collected four total tackles (two solo, two assisted) against the Cowboys, doubling his previous career best … at West
Virginia: Made his fourth appearance of the season and recorded a solo tackle against the Mountaineers … at Kansas State: Recorded the first tackle-for-loss of his Kansas career during the Dillons Sunflower Showdown … Set a new career high with five tackles, with his previous high of four came against Oklahoma State earlier this season … Also had a quarterback hurry against the Wildcats … Iowa State: Recorded another TFL against the Cyclones in addition to making three solo tackles on the afternoon … at Oklahoma: Matched his season and career-best five tackles (initially set at K-State, 10/24) as well as TFLs, with 1.0 for the third-consecutive game … TCU: Totaled three tackles against the Horned Frogs, two of the solo variety and one assisted … at Texas Tech: Recorded four solo tackles against the Red Raiders … Saw playing time in each of the team’s nine games this season.
2019: Played in four games as a true freshman for the Jayhawks … Tallied two tackles on the season, one each of the solo and assisted variety … Also credited with a quarterback hurry during the year. at Boston College: Made his Jayhawk debut in Chestnut Hill … Assisted on one tackle to make his way onto the stat sheet … at TCU: Saw playing time, but did not record any statistics in Fort Worth … Oklahoma: Made a solo tackle against the Sooners, as well as causing one quarterback hurry, both of which were season/career highs for the freshman … Baylor: Played against the nationally ranked Bears, but did not record any statistics in his fourth game of the season for KU.
High School: Earned a four star rating by 247Sports.com and Rivals.com ranking in the top 400 … Rated top 20 at his position in the country … Played for head coach Jason Todd at South Oak Cliff HS … Totaled 100 tackles, including 20 sacks and 26 tackles-for-loss … Helped lead South Oak Cliff to a 11-1 record … Earned Texas 6-5A Player of the Year and District 5-A Defensive Player of the Year honors his senior season … Rated No. 36 in the Dallas Morning News Top 100 rankings … Earned District 11-5A Defensive MVP honors as a junior.
