Penn State lost two key players to injury Saturday against Minnesota, and coach James Franklin confirmed in his weekly presser Monday afternoon that each are out with long-term injuries.
The first player he was asked about was right tackle Anthony Donkoh, who got hurt on the game’s first series and had to be carted off the field.
Franklin confirmed that Donkoh’s injury is a serious one and did the same later in the presser with DT Alonzo Ford Jr., who got hurt later in the game. This is a big blow for Ford, first and foremost and to Penn State, which suddenly lacks depth at defensive tackle.
MISSING BEAMON
Penn State’s Hakeem Beamon.
When news broke Friday night, Nov. 8 that sixth-year DL Hakeem Beamon was no longer with the Penn State football program, many didn’t think it was a big deal.
The circumstances of Beamon’s departure are unknown and might not ever be made public but what’s undeniable is his decrease in playing time. Despite only starting half the games in 2023 that he did the previous season, Beamon finished the year with a solid amount of snaps at 339. He was on pace to finish well below that this season. Although Beamon played in each of Penn State’s first eight games, he only totaled 107 snaps. He played 23 against West Virginia in Week 1 and only hit 20 one other time, against UCLA Oct. 5.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Despite Beamon being among Penn State’s most experienced players, four defensive tackles had played more snaps at the time of his departure, with Ford being one of them.
Now, Penn State has its two starting defensive tackles— Zane Durant and Dvon J-Thomas— and fifth-year senior Coziah Izzard as a depth piece. Now, with Beamon gone and Ford injured, there isn’t much proven depth behind those three. Second-year DT Ty Blanding and true freshman Xavier Gilliam might have to play more than anticipated.
A STAR-CROSSED CAREER
WEST LAFAYETTE, IN – NOVEMBER 16: Penn State Nittany Lions defensive tackle Alonzo Ford Jr. (50) rushes into the backfield during the college football game between the Purdue Boilermakers and Penn State Nittany Lions on November 16, 2024, at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire)
We feel for any player who gets injured, let alone right before a likely College Football Playoff run. But Ford’s story is extra disheartening because he’s dealt with significant injuries before at Penn State. After coming over from Old Dominion, where he played the first two seasons of his college career, he missed the entire 2023 season with an injury. In 2024, he carved out a niche on Penn State’s DL, becoming PSU’s fifth-highest rated defender per Pro Football Focus with a 75.9 grade. Now, it looks like he’ll miss PSU’s most important games.
Penn State takes on Maryland Saturday on the Big Ten Network with kickoff scheduled for 3:30.
