Camp Update: Drew Beesley making surprise surge at d-end
Jim Comparoni • SpartanMag
Publisher
@JimComparoni
Drew Beesley’s rise from walk-on status to first-string defensive end would seem like a unique, storybook progression at most programs.
But at Michigan State, Beesley happens to be following the trek of Kenny Willekes - the most storied former walk-on in the nation in 2019.
Beesley isn’t slated to flirt with All-America honors as a fifth-year senior defensive end for the Spartans in 2020 - the way Willekes did in 2018 and 2019. But Beesley brings a functional skill set that is continuing on a uptick through preseason camp as the Spartans get set for their season opener on Oct. 24 against Rutgers.
“There’s no replacing Kenny,” Beesley said during a Zoom interview after practice on Thursday evening. “There will always only be one Kenny Willekes. He always emphasized running to the ball, getting to the ball. I looked up to him a lot.”
Michigan State hasn’t officially released its depth chart. But insiders and most leading indications - such as Michigan State making Beesley available for interviews on Thursday - point to the 6-foot-2, 260-pound redshirt-senior from Rochester Hills, Mich., as the lead candidate for the job to start at defensive end opposite Jacub Panasiuk.
Beesley played 261 snaps last year as the first defensive end off the bench. He had six tackles for loss, ranking No. 7 on the team in that category.
The economics major is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection.
“Drew Beesley has played football in the Big Ten, and (we) see him continue to grow,” said defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton.
Beesley has gained 12 pounds since last year, up to 260.
“Drew Beesley has actually had a very good camp,” said junior linebacker Noah Harvey. “He’s been looking good at pass rushing. Overall, his responsibility, he does his job and he does it really well.”
Beesley believed he could flourish at this level - even if few other programs did.
Beesley had scholarship offers from Army, Air Force and Mid-American Conference schools as standout at Warren De La Salle.
He became De La Salle’s all-time leader in tackles for loss, including 17 career sacks for one of the strongest, most-storied high school programs in Michigan.
He helped lead De La Salle to the Division 2 state championship as a junior in 2014.
As a 220-pound, two-star tight end prospect, he had frequent communication with Michigan State coaches. They wanted him as a preferred walk-on.
Coaches at Central Michigan, Ball State, Bowling Green and the military academies were confident he would come to one of their schools instead.
The mid-majors recruited him hard. They chased him throughout the course of his senior season, and into December and January.
The night before signing day, he continued to stew over the decision.
“It was like 11:50 at night, and I was just in my room, thinking to myself,” Beesley said.
He couldn’t get the green and white out of his head and heart.
“I pulled the trigger,” he said.
He chose to commit to Michigan State as a walk-on.
“Then I called Coach Salem and Coach Dantonio,” Beesley said.
At midnight?
No problem. They wanted him, and he knew it. The phone lines were open. They just didn’t have a scholarship for him. Not right away, anyway.
“They were ecstatic that I was coming,” Beesley said.
Then came the hard, and honorable part.
“I called the other coaches who offered me and told them where I was going,” Beesley said. “And they hung up the phone and I guarantee you that they all thought I was crazy because I turned down a scholarship.
“With all the other offers I had, I really didn’t fall in love with the school and the program and everything that was going on there. So I literally decided to go to Michigan State on the very last minute of signing day. So that was a bit stressful for me. And then I prayed on it and I made a decision and I haven’t looked back since and I feel like that decision really paid off.
“I just looked at it as if I was just a regular student, if football wasn’t part of the equation, would I love going to school here? For Michigan State, that answer was an obvious yes.
“The only thing I didn’t have was a scholarship.”
Beesley earned a scholarship soon after becoming part of the playing group during his third year at Michigan State. He was a surprise emergency starter for the Spartans in the game at Arizona State in 2018, due to an injury to Jacub Panasiuk.
Beesley wasn’t great that night at ASU, but he wasn’t bad. He built on a functional foundation to the point of expecting a bigger breakthrough in 2020.
“I feel like I have a better understanding of the game,” Beesley said. “When I’m on the field, I’m not panicking. I’m able to play at a high speed and not have to think too much. Normally, football players play good when they don’t have to think as much.”
That’s a good place to be, mentally, considering all the thinking he had to do on Signing Day Eve in 2016.
“That was a very difficult decision for me and my family,” he said, “and I feel like that gamble of not knowing when I would get a scholarship has really paid off for me.”
Jim Comparoni • SpartanMag
Publisher
@JimComparoni
Drew Beesley’s rise from walk-on status to first-string defensive end would seem like a unique, storybook progression at most programs.
But at Michigan State, Beesley happens to be following the trek of Kenny Willekes - the most storied former walk-on in the nation in 2019.
Beesley isn’t slated to flirt with All-America honors as a fifth-year senior defensive end for the Spartans in 2020 - the way Willekes did in 2018 and 2019. But Beesley brings a functional skill set that is continuing on a uptick through preseason camp as the Spartans get set for their season opener on Oct. 24 against Rutgers.
“There’s no replacing Kenny,” Beesley said during a Zoom interview after practice on Thursday evening. “There will always only be one Kenny Willekes. He always emphasized running to the ball, getting to the ball. I looked up to him a lot.”
Michigan State hasn’t officially released its depth chart. But insiders and most leading indications - such as Michigan State making Beesley available for interviews on Thursday - point to the 6-foot-2, 260-pound redshirt-senior from Rochester Hills, Mich., as the lead candidate for the job to start at defensive end opposite Jacub Panasiuk.
Beesley played 261 snaps last year as the first defensive end off the bench. He had six tackles for loss, ranking No. 7 on the team in that category.
The economics major is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection.
“Drew Beesley has played football in the Big Ten, and (we) see him continue to grow,” said defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton.
Beesley has gained 12 pounds since last year, up to 260.
“Drew Beesley has actually had a very good camp,” said junior linebacker Noah Harvey. “He’s been looking good at pass rushing. Overall, his responsibility, he does his job and he does it really well.”
Beesley believed he could flourish at this level - even if few other programs did.
Beesley had scholarship offers from Army, Air Force and Mid-American Conference schools as standout at Warren De La Salle.
He became De La Salle’s all-time leader in tackles for loss, including 17 career sacks for one of the strongest, most-storied high school programs in Michigan.
He helped lead De La Salle to the Division 2 state championship as a junior in 2014.
As a 220-pound, two-star tight end prospect, he had frequent communication with Michigan State coaches. They wanted him as a preferred walk-on.
Coaches at Central Michigan, Ball State, Bowling Green and the military academies were confident he would come to one of their schools instead.
The mid-majors recruited him hard. They chased him throughout the course of his senior season, and into December and January.
The night before signing day, he continued to stew over the decision.
“It was like 11:50 at night, and I was just in my room, thinking to myself,” Beesley said.
He couldn’t get the green and white out of his head and heart.
“I pulled the trigger,” he said.
He chose to commit to Michigan State as a walk-on.
“Then I called Coach Salem and Coach Dantonio,” Beesley said.
At midnight?
No problem. They wanted him, and he knew it. The phone lines were open. They just didn’t have a scholarship for him. Not right away, anyway.
“They were ecstatic that I was coming,” Beesley said.
Then came the hard, and honorable part.
“I called the other coaches who offered me and told them where I was going,” Beesley said. “And they hung up the phone and I guarantee you that they all thought I was crazy because I turned down a scholarship.
“With all the other offers I had, I really didn’t fall in love with the school and the program and everything that was going on there. So I literally decided to go to Michigan State on the very last minute of signing day. So that was a bit stressful for me. And then I prayed on it and I made a decision and I haven’t looked back since and I feel like that decision really paid off.
“I just looked at it as if I was just a regular student, if football wasn’t part of the equation, would I love going to school here? For Michigan State, that answer was an obvious yes.
“The only thing I didn’t have was a scholarship.”
Beesley earned a scholarship soon after becoming part of the playing group during his third year at Michigan State. He was a surprise emergency starter for the Spartans in the game at Arizona State in 2018, due to an injury to Jacub Panasiuk.
Beesley wasn’t great that night at ASU, but he wasn’t bad. He built on a functional foundation to the point of expecting a bigger breakthrough in 2020.
“I feel like I have a better understanding of the game,” Beesley said. “When I’m on the field, I’m not panicking. I’m able to play at a high speed and not have to think too much. Normally, football players play good when they don’t have to think as much.”
That’s a good place to be, mentally, considering all the thinking he had to do on Signing Day Eve in 2016.
“That was a very difficult decision for me and my family,” he said, “and I feel like that gamble of not knowing when I would get a scholarship has really paid off for me.”
