“Obviously, it was a tough decision,” Beerman said. “My plan when I committed was to not change anything, be committed and start that connection. So it was tough.
“But obviously, how unsure of where the program is heading at Purdue with uncertainty, that kind of led to my decision.”
Beerman had 192 total tackles during his career at Lakota West and was named the 2024 Greater Miami Conference Defensive Athlete of the Year.
Beerman said he is appreciative of the Purdue coaching staff and understands that the program is looking to turn things around. Purdue is 1-10 this season, while Illinois is 8-3.
“I just want to go into something that I’m certain about and that I know where I’m going to be at and who is going to be there — especially with the players and the coaches,” Beerman said. “At Purdue, I felt like I couldn’t find that.”
Beerman said after making the decision to decommit from Purdue, it ultimately came down to other programs that were showing interest in the 6-foot-4, 220-pound linebacker.
“That was between Illinois, Michigan State and Duke, which I was considering as well,” Beerman said. “Really it just came down to me with the connection, and Illinois was actually pretty similar to Purdue originally and what I thought it was. It actually ended up working out really great for me.
“Since making that visit, it was all about expanding on that relationship and committing there.”
Beerman went into the high school football scene as a wide receiver and a tight end. But he was switched to linebacker after his freshman year.
“It’s kind of funny when you look back at it,” Beerman said. “I was put at linebacker. I put that credit to my coaches at Lakota West. They put me in the right decision. The whole staff there, they’re great. I believe we have the best coaching staff in the whole conference, if not the state.
“They put me in the position to succeed, and I think everything would look completely different if I didn’t have them. I’d probably be playing wide receiver still — and not be very good. Luckily, they coached me up, not only as a player, but also a man.”
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