Penn State freshman offensive lineman Nana Asiedu’s college football career is over before it could even get underway. The newly-arrived former four-star prospect announced on Wednesday evening that he will have to give up the sport due to a recently-discovered heart condition.

“These past couple of weeks have been the toughest time in my life,” he wrote in a message on Twitter. “I’ve handle[d] this situation pretty well even though it is hard to swallow… Well with that being said I have a genetic hear condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy due to this condition I can no longer play football anymore.

“This hurts because football was my everything but God has other plans for me… With love and support [from] Coach [James] Franklin and the Penn State staff I’ll still be on full football scholarship and still be apart of the team in every aspect!! This is one reason why I chose Penn State because of the security and they’ll never go back on their word.

“This is truly a curse and a blessing and I just thank God for giving me this opportunity that I will never take for granted.”

The 6-foot-5, 294-pound Asiedu arrived on campus over the weekend. A graduate of North Stafford High School in Stafford, Virginia, he was a key part of Penn State’s top five Class of 2018. The former high school teammate of 2019 running back commitment Devyn Ford, Asiedu was the No. 116 overall prospect in the Class of 2018 and the nation’s No. 8 offensive tackle according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

He was a U.S. Army All-American selection in 2018.

Asiedu committed to Penn State in April of 2017 over scholarship offers from Clemson, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, Virginia Tech and others. He was expected to redshirt this season and fill out his enormous potential as one of the top offensive line recruits of the James Franklin era.

A common condition according to the American Heart Association, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy is a common cause of sudden cardiac arrest in young people, including young athletes. According to the AHA website, “It is rare, but some people with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can have sudden cardiac arrest during very vigorous physical activity. The physical activity can trigger dangerous arrhythmias. Ask your doctor what types and amounts of physical activity are safe for you.”