After exiting practice with a knee injury last week, it was announced today that Illini freshman defensive back Marquez Beason will have to undergo season-ending surgery.

"Marquez Beason will be having season-ending knee surgery in the future. It's unfortunate. He was one of the highlights early on. He's going to be a great player." – @LovieSmithhttps://t.co/J8Pld2ZUGj — Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) August 19, 2019

Beason, a four-star recruit out of Texas, was expected to start immediately on the Illinois defense this season. Instead, Illini fans will have to wait another year to see their highest-ranked recruit in the past ten seasons in action.

The Illini finished 113th out of 129 in passing yards allowed last season, and Beason was supposed to be a key part of the solution. With the immense pressure on Lovie Smith to produce results after three abysmal seasons to begin his tenure at Illinois, Beason’s absence will not make things any easier.

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