Jacob Parrish, an Olathe North product, earned a spot on the NFL's All-Rookie Team after a breakout 2025 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Kansas City Star highlighted Parrish on Thursday, Sept. 24, in a roundup of KC-metro NFL standouts, calling the cornerback "a third-round steal from the 2025 draft." The same roundup noted fellow Olathe North alumnus Isaiah Simmons, now a linebacker with the Carolina Panthers.
Parrish, the 84th overall pick out of Kansas State in the 2025 draft, took over the Buccaneers' nickel corner role under head coach Todd Bowles. He finished the 2025 season with 76 combined tackles, seven tackles for loss, seven passes defended, two interceptions, two sacks and three quarterback hits across 17 games and five starts.
The 5-foot-10, 198-pound defensive back logged 427 snaps in the slot and 127 on the outside, finishing second among Tampa Bay's cornerbacks in defensive snap share at 71.46%, according to Pro Football Rumors. Pro Football Focus ranked him 31st among 112 qualifying cornerbacks.
"It was a cut-split and how he (Tetairoa McMillan) came off the ball, he was jogging, so I kind of saw it on film too, so I jumped the route and made a play on the ball," Parrish said in the Buccaneers' official rookie review published March 20, describing the preparation behind one of his interceptions.
Parrish missed the Buccaneers' Week 2 game against the Cleveland Browns but returned to full practice Wednesday, Sept. 23, ahead of Tampa Bay's Week 3 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. He is competing for a starting outside cornerback job in 2026 after starter Jamel Dean departed for the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency.
At Kansas State, Parrish led the Wildcats in interceptions and passes defended in both 2023 and 2024.
Simmons has taken a longer road. The former No. 8 overall pick in the 2020 draft won the Butkus Award at Clemson in 2019 as the nation's top linebacker and was a unanimous All-American. He is a former linebacker now playing safety for the Carolina Panthers
Carolina re-signed Simmons on March 10. He was released Aug. 30 as part of final roster cuts, then signed to the practice squad the next day. The Panthers promoted him to the active roster Wednesday, Sept. 23, after placing running back Jonathon Brooks on injured reserve with a groin injury, according to Carolina Blitz on X.
Parrish and the Buccaneers host the Vikings in Week 3.
