Saluki football coach Dale Lennon announced Monday senior nose tackle TJ Beelen will miss the remainder of the season because of a knee injury that requires surgery.

Lennon did not go into further specifics on the injury.

Beelen had played every game of the season before the Western Illinois game, and accumulated 10 tackles and one tackle for loss this year. 

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Beelen’s main role was the primary backup for fellow senior nose tackle Raysean Golden.

“Raysean and TJ were good complements to each other,” Lennon said.

Lennon said all the defensive linemen will now be flushed into the rotation.

On an updated depth chart, true freshman Nate Sylvester is now Golden’s backup, moving over from backup defensive end. Sylvester registered his first career tackle against Western Illinois. 

Redshirt freshman Jaylon Graham now serves as backup defensive end.

As a fourth year senior, Beelen has one NCAA redshirt year left.

“We will either take a redshirt year for him or do a medical hardship,” Lennon said. 

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If granted the medical hardship, Beelen will retain his redshirt year.

Sean Carley can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @SCarleyDE