The Kansas State football team will be missing a key reserve linebacker for the rest of the season. Head coach Chris Klieman announced that Beau Palmer, a 6-foot-2 senior from Overland Park, is sidelined due to a knee injury sustained during the team’s 45-18 victory over West Virginia.
“I am sick for Beau,” Klieman said, reflecting on Palmer’s previous injury and his determination to return to the field for his teammates. This season, Palmer had been an important contributor behind Austin Romaine in K-State’s defense, recording eight tackles, including one for loss in the season opener against Tennessee-Martin.
Klieman believes the Wildcats will feel Palmer’s absence this week as they get ready for the Sunflower Showdown against the Kansas Jayhawks. “He had his best game of the season last year against KU when we needed him, especially when we were short-handed,” Klieman noted. “This will put additional pressure on the other linebackers to cover the snaps we’re losing without Beau.
” K-State has been relatively lucky with injuries this season, entering most games with a fully healthy starting lineup. However, they received troubling news earlier this week. Palmer’s injury may elevate Terry Kirksey, a junior linebacker who started his college career at Hutchinson Community College, into a more prominent role moving forward.
