Penn State defensive tackle Hakeem Beamon will be unavailable for the remainder of the 2021 season, James Franklin said on Wednesday night.
The third-year member of the Nittany Lions’ roster confirmed the news following practice as the team prepares to face Indiana in primetime on Saturday night at Beaver Stadium.
Beamon has yet to suit up in a game this fall, and that will continue to be the case.
“Hakeem loves football, so in practice, he’s always good, because he loves to play football, but he will be unavailable this week and he will be unavailable for the season,” Franklin said.
No specific reason was given why Beamon, who has been seen at practice this summer and fall, would not play this year.
A Midlothian, Va., Manchester High product who was born in Germany and made nine tackles over his first two years in blue and white in addition to 1.5 tackles for loss, Beamon was expected to be a member of the Nittany Lions’ two-deep in 2021 if not a starter, but he notably dropped weight this offseason, which seemed to suggest he might play both inside and out upfront.
Instead, he won’t see any action at all. Through four games, PJ Mustipher and Derrick Tangelo have started and Coziah Izzard and D’Von Ellies have become the second-team contributors as Penn State started September 4-0.
The Nittany Lions-Hoosiers matchup will start at 7:30 p.m., and ABC will televise the game. A ‘StripeOut’ has been called for in the Beaver Stadium stands, as well, for Penn State’s Big Ten home opener.
