Penn State head coach James Franklin announced that redshirt freshman defensive lineman Fred Hansard will miss the rest of the season due to an undisclosed injury.

Franklin didn’t get into the specifics of Hansard’s injury, but he went down in the second quarter of the Nittany Lions’ defeat to Michigan State on Saturday.

Hansard was part of Penn State’s rotation at defensive tackle this season. He earned his first start of 2018 in week 1 against Appalachian State as Kevin Givens served a one-game suspension. He appeared in six games and made two tackles, including half of a tackle-for-loss against the Mountaineers. 

Now that the Burlington, NJ native is out for the season, true freshman PJ Mustipher will serve as Givens’ backup on the defensive line. CJ Thorpe made the switch from offensive line to defensive tackle earlier this month, so he may see more playing time due to the injury.

Franklin added that Mustipher, redshirt sophomore Antonio Shelton, and Damion Barber — a redshirt freshman — may see more playing time in Hansard’s absence at his weekly press conference on Tuesday afternoon.

In addition to Hansard, backup running back Mark Allen is also out for the season due to an undisclosed injury.

About the Author

Mikey Mandarino

In the most upsetting turn of events, Mikey graduated from Penn State with a digital & print journalism degree in the spring of 2020. He covered Penn State football and served as an editor for Onward State from 2018 until his graduation. Mikey is from Bedminster, New Jersey, so naturally, he spends lots of time yelling about all the best things his home state has to offer. Mikey also loves to play golf, but he sucks at it because golf is really hard. If you, for some reason, feel compelled to see what Mikey has to say on the internet, follow him on Twitter @Mikey_Mandarino. You can also get in touch with Mikey via his big-boy email address: michael.p.mandarino@gmail.com

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