Why Hakeem Beamon could break out for Penn State at defensive tackle this season
We began breaking down the defense earlier this week with the defensive ends after doing the entire offense earlier this summer, and now we move to the interior of the defensive trenches.
The Penn State defensive tackle room will have a different look this season with the departure of PJ Mustipher, who exhausted his eligibility and moved on to the NFL. The stalwart in the middle of the line will have big shoes to fill and leaves behind a gap at a valuable spot for the Nittany Lions.
Let’s take a look at who can replace Mustipher as a space eating defensive tackle and who else will contribute at defensive tackle for Penn State in the 2023 season
Projected starters: Redshirt junior Hakeem Beamon and redshirt senior Dvon Ellies
It’s almost worth splitting Penn State’s two defensive tackles into different groups based on what each is asked to do, but we’ll lump them into the same bucket since they’re technically the same position. Beamon and Ellies have to be the odds on favorites to start in the middle of the defense going into the season, but there’s an argument they aren’t the team’s two best at the position. Beamon is likely at the top, but there’s an argument on who is second. Still, Ellies fills a necessary role better than anyone on the team can right now, so he gets the nod.
The reason Beamon is the best is fairly simple. He’s the best at what he’s asked to do in the group and that’s using his speed and athleticism to make plays on the field. His primary focus is making more visible plays — excelling as a pass rusher, shedding blocks to make tackles in the running game and generally being disruptive on the defensive front. He’s listed at 6-foot-3, 284 pounds, which is the most he’s weighed since he got to Penn State. His size was previously an issue when he was below 270 pounds and struggled to deal with stronger guards who could get their hands on him in tight spaces. It will be interesting to see how much his added weight impacts his speed. If there isn’t much difference, Beamon could be in for a breakout season.
Ellies is going to be asked to do more of the dirty work on the line. He’s a space eater who can occupy more than one lineman with his size and strength. He’s listed at 6-foot-1, 302 pounds and is a stout physical presence in the trenches. Ellies is a little bit different than most space eaters on the line, because he’s nimble enough to make some plays on his own at the cost of being elite in the size and strength department. However, he’s still able to do well enough at taking on opposing linemen to free up space for Beamon, the defensive ends and the linebackers to go to work against the run and the pass. Ellies is never going to jump off the stat sheet from a performance standpoint, but what he does on the field is going to be vital in allowing Penn State’s best playmakers to make things happen. It’s a safe bet that if he’s playing well, he’s improving the play of everyone around him on the defense.
Key backups: Sophomore Zane Durant and junior Coziah Izzard
The player who could be the second best defensive tackle despite not starting is Durant. He and Izzard form a duo that could start in a pinch for the Nittany Lions. The former is more in the mold of Beamon, while the latter plays more like Ellies.
Durant is the best athlete at the position on the roster and I don’t know that it’s close. He’s 6-foot-1, 280 pounds and it seems like all of that weight is muscle. He’s an elite quick twitch athlete who fires off the line of scrimmage, giving him a massive advantage at the point of impact. He does a great job translating his speed into power, using his absurdly powerful legs to push even the strongest interior offensive linemen back into the quarterback. He’s adept at shedding blocks and is so strong he can make plays in the running game despite technically being undersized. He has more upside than anyone else at the position and could be a game-breaking level of talent in due time. There are very few defensive tackles who have the same combination of power and speed that he does, giving him the chance to do things most at the position can’t. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him get more reps next to Beamon in passing situations, allowing both to pin their ears back and get after the quarterback.
Izzard is bigger than Durant at 6-foot-3, 294 pounds and will likely be asked to occupy more blocks this season. He doesn’t have ideal size to do that right now, but is big enough to get the job done as a backup. He has excellent length for a tackle, which can allow him to get into the chest of opposing linemen. That being said, he may run into issues when they get their hands on him because he doesn’t possess the size or strength you’d expect from most in his role. If there’s one person in a precarious position of these four, it’s Izzard, but odds are he’ll be the primary backup for Ellies heading into the season.
Freshman to watch: Redshirt freshman Kaleb Artis
Few players look as different after their redshirt year as Artis. He added plenty of muscle and looks like a legitimate threat to crack the rotation at defensive tackle this year, now measuring at 6-foot-4, 320 pounds. The question is how well will that translate to the football field. He seems to have added good weight, but still needs to add more strength in his lower half to help him maintain his ground in the running game. His development will be worth monitoring this year and if he earns serious playing time it will be a major positive for the future of a position that could use added depth.
