Hakeem Beamon Returning to Penn State for 6th Year

Penn State will field two sixth-year defensive tackles for the 2024 season, as Hakeem Beamon said that he will return to the Nittany Lions next year. Beamon announced his decision in a social media post.

Beamon joins fellow defensive tackle DVon Ellies, who announced his decision to return to Penn State football earlier in the week. Beamon and Ellies will be sixth-year players for the Nittany Lions. Both redshirted in 2019 and will take advantage of their 2020 bonus year.

Beamon (6-3, 290 pounds) is among Penn State's most experienced players. He has started 17 career games, including six last season, and played in a rotation with Ellies and Zane Durant inside. Though he didn't start in the Peach Bowl against Ole Miss, Beamon led the tackles with 49 snaps. 

Beamon and Ellies are two players from Penn State's 2019 recruiting class who will use their bonus season of eligibility. That 2019 class includes NFL players Joey Porter Jr., Jaquan Brisker, Brenton Strange and Brandon Smith. Fellow 2019 recruits Adisa Isaac, Daequan Hardy and Caedan Wallace are entering the 2024 NFL Draft. Captain Keaton Ellis is headed to the draft as well after exhausting his eligibility.