#57 Beau Palmer — Well, here was a rarity: Someone actually making a tackle during Snowmageddon! After a slew of injuries at the middle linebacker position, Beau Palmer (57) proved to be something of a revelation as he filled in for various injured starters, and he should be a solid piece we can rely on in 2024. | Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images

In which BracketCat counts down the 57th day until the 2024 kickoff with a profile of Kansas State linebacker Beau Palmer.

NOTE: Kansas State has elected to advance players’ classification even though the 2020 season did not affect eligibility. Those who wish to take advantage of this extra year will be listed as a (“super”) senior again after their original eligibility would have been exhausted.

#57 Beau Palmer

Redshirt Senior | 6-2 | 225 lbs. | Overland Park, Kansas

Position: Linebacker
Previous College: None
Projection: Co-Starter
Status: Preferred Walk-On

Beau Palmer (b. July 5, 2001) is a preferred walk-on linebacker from Blue Valley High School in Overland Park who is majoring in marketing and finally broke through as a starter in 2023.

He redshirted and did not see any game action during the 2020 pandemic year, but played in two games in 2021, seeing time on kickoff coverage against both Nevada and Oklahoma.

In 2022, Palmer played in six games as both a reserve linebacker and on special teams before an injury finally cut his season short. He totaled two tackles against both South Dakota and Missouri, and finished the season as a first-team Academic All-Big 12 performer.

Last summer at this time, I made this brilliant prediction about Palmer’s playing time:

Palmer projects as a continued reserve and special teams player in 2023 and beyond, but our deep scholarship linebacking corps likely will conspire to limit his playing time again.

See, that would’ve worked out if we hadn’t lost THREE starting middle linebackers to injuries and THREE linebackers to season-ending injuries. Thus was Palmer thrust into action!

When (Daniel) Green went down (for the season) to injury last season, (Austin) Romaine (five starts), (Jake) Clifton (three) and Palmer (two) took turns starting at the position.

He played in all 13 games last season, with starts in relief of Romaine in the regular-season finale against Iowa State and in the Pop-Tarts Bowl versus NC State, and totaled 25 tackles on the year to go along with 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack, and a pass breakup.

Palmer tied for team-high honors with five tackles on kickoff coverage, set a career high with four tackles at Kansas (and tied that mark against NC State), and also recorded three stops at Oklahoma State.

Plus, he earned first-team Academic All-Big 12 accolades again and was named to the National Football Foundation (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society list.

Palmer had tackles for loss against SEMO, Houston and Kansas, the latter of which he also recorded his first career sack and pass breakup against.

Now he may start again in 2024, given that Green is gone and Clifton is on a 2-year mission.

He prepped under head coach Allen Terrell at Blue Valley, where he earned first-team all-state accolades from The Topeka Capital-Journal, The Wichita Eagle and the Kansas Football Coaches Association as a senior.

A two-time all-league linebacker, including first-team honors as a senior, Palmer totaled 161 career tackles for the Tigers, including 80 during his senior campaign.

He had four forced fumbles, two recoveries, a blocked punt return for a touchdown and a pick-six, and also lettered in track and field.

At Blue Valley, Palmer prepped with current K-State wide receivers Andre Davis and Sterling Lockett, as well as incoming freshman running back JB Price.

His uncle, Adam Helm, was a backup quarterback for K-State who lettered in both 1998 and 1999, while his grandfather, J.D. Helm, played football at Kansas (but we try not to hold that against Beau). His sister, Hannah, will be a freshman forward this fall for women’s soccer.

Here’s what Chris Klieman had to say about Palmer during the bye week in the 2021 season:

Beau Palmer … (is) going to be (a) good inside linebacker. (But he) needs reps.

Well, seeing what he did with those reps once he received them, I’d say this was a bit of an understatement. But now he faces injury obstacles of his own to overcome before the fall:

Beau Palmer has had a hamstring, so Beau has really had two practices (this spring). You have four guys who are going to be helping us who aren’t out there right now.

That assessment came from linebackers coach Steve Stanard, who undoubtedly hopes Palmer will be full-go soon to assist with all those other guys coming back from rehab, too.