The Penn State defensive line will get a nice boost with the return of this key player in 2024.
Following in the footsteps of fellow defensive tackle [autotag]Dvon Ellies[/autotag], a simple post on social media was all it took for defensive tackle [autotag]Hakeem Beamon[/autotag] to announce his plans for the 2024 season. Just as Ellies did yesterday, Beamon is committed to another year along Penn State’s defensive front.
Beamon announced his plans on X (formerly known as Twitter) to return for his sixth season in State College. Both Beamon and Ellies were granted a sixth year of eligibility due to the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
Beamon was a mainstay on the interior of Penn State’s defensive line, playing in all 13 games in each of the past two seasons. This year, Beamon contributed 12 tackles and 1.5 tackles for a loss. Along with Ellies, Beamon will make the life of new defensive coordinator Tom Allen a lot easier when building his defense next season.
West Virginia head coach Neal Brown knows his offense is going up a Penn State defense with lots of star power.
Penn State is preparing to open the 2023 season with a home opener this Saturday night against former regional rival West Virginia. In the first meeting between the two schools since 1992, West Virginia head coach Neal Brown is fully aware of just how much talent Penn State has to offer that his team will have to prepare for.
In a weekly press conference, Brown praised the star power on Penn State’s defense ahead of the Week 1 matchup. Brown said Penn State has nine draft picks on the defensive side of the football, according to WV Sports Now and reporter Mike Asti via X, formerly known as Twitter.
WVU HC Neal Brown says Penn State has 9 draft picks on defense.
Nine players with NFL draft potential on one defense? Yeah, that’s pretty good. So who are those nine players Brown is referring to?
The three obvious ones are cornerback [autotag]Kalen King[/autotag], defensive end [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag], and linebacker [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag]. King is being viewed as one of the top cornerbacks in the 2024 NFL draft pool, so long as he declares for the draft after this season. Robinson has been called a possible first-round draft pick as well. Carter is still just a sophomore, but you have to imagine he is on the radar of the draft scouts already.
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Linebacker [autotag]Curtis Jacobs[/autotag] and defensive end [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag] are probably the next two to come to mind, bringing our total to five players. Other starters developing their NFL draft stock may be defensive tackles [autotag]Hakeem Beamon[/autotag] and [autotag]Dvon Ellies[/autotag]. And safety [autotag]Keaton Ellis[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Johnny Dixon[/autotag] are likely players to be on the big board for some teams, even if later in the draft process.
Penn State’s defense should be locked in from the start this week and season. After a strong showing in the spring Blue-White Game, Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz has a unit that will be able to create opportunities for the offense to do its thing.
Penn State hosts West Virginia on Saturday, Sept. 2 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
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Hakeem Beamon gives Penn State another returning starter on defensive line in 2023.
Going into the 2023 football season, Nittany Lions Wire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Penn State roster. Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for James Franklin this season.
Next up in this series is a look at one of Penn State’s starting defensive linemen for the 2023 season, redshirt senior [autotag]Hakeem Beamon[/autotag]. The Virginia native looks to be one of the stalwarts on the defensive line this season as Penn State’s defense helps slow down opposing offenses this fall, and he brings a season of starting experience to the table this fall.
Here is a snapshot look at Hakeem Beamon heading into the upcoming season.
Now that a new coach is in place, here’s a quick look at the Penn State defensive line situation this spring
It’s an exciting time for the defensive line unit at Penn State. Coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] recently announced that [autotag]Deion Barnes[/autotag] would be the new defensive line coach for the upcoming season.
Barnes, who played defensive line at Penn State from 2012-2014, is taking over the role after the departure of [autotag]John Scott Jr.[/autotag]
It seems like a natural progression for Barnes who served as a graduate assistant and was involved in the development of multiple players going to the NFL.
While the news of this hire is certainly exciting, the other electrifying thing surrounding the defensive line is they might be the best unit of Penn State football this season.
[autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag] and [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag] are the headliners of the line, but there are other players that could have a big year as well.
Here are names to watch as spring practices get underway.
Chop Robinson
Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports
Measurables: 6’3″ 240 lbs.
Year: Junior
Expected Role: Starting Defensive End
Chop Robinson was an absolute star for Penn State in 2022-23. After transferring in from Maryland, he was a game wrecker for the Nittany Lions. He recorded 26 total tackles, 10 of them for loss, and had 5.5 sacks.
His PFF grade of 90.6 ranked him sixth out of 862 edge rushers last season. Robinson’s pass rush grade had him fourth in the country. It’s crazy to think that he can improve his run defense to become an even better player. Robinson will be a household name if continues to produce like he did last year.
Coziah Izzard
AP Photo/Barry Reeger
Measurables: 6’3″ 292 lbs.
Year: Redshirt Junior
Expected Role: Starting Defensive Tackle
This is the starting position on the defensive line that should be watched. [autotag]Coziah Izzard[/autotag] is the projected starter, but he’ll be battling to secure that title. Last season he was expected to start alongside [autotag]PJ Mustipher[/autotag], but missed the first four games of the season due to the decision of coach Franklin.
After a bursting onto the scene in 2021 with 21 tackles and two sacks, he recorded 10 tackles and two sacks in nine games last season. Izzard has tons of talent and should be able to produce this year whether he’s a starter or not.
Snapshot profile of Penn State defensive tackle Hakeem Beamon heading into 2022.
Going into the 2022 football season, Nittany Lions Wire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Penn State roster.
Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for James Franklin this season.
[autotag]Hakeem Beamon[/autotag] is one of many options on the Penn State roster sitting at the defensive tackle position going into the 2022 season. Here is a snapshot profile at one of Penn State’s reserves on the defensive line this fall.
Here is where every player from Penn State’s Class of 2019 sits today, four years later
The 2022 college football season will mark the fourth year since the Class of 2019 was signed by Penn State. One of the top classes in the Big Ten, coming in at No. 2 in the conference according to 247 Sports, Penn State’s recruiting haul for 2019 was certainly full of potential for big things. And entering 2022, some of those players signed by the Nittany Lions are living the dream while others are looking for some clean starts, and others remain in Happy Valley hoping to end their college careers on a high note.
With so much happening in the offseason, we thought it would be a good idea to take a look back at Penn State’s Class of 2019 to see where everyone is currently stands.
