Penn State’s Abdul Carter showed his high upside in win over Illinois
Still adjusting to a new position, former linebacker Carter excelled at defensive end against Illinois.
When Penn State football coach James Franklin recruited La Salle College High School standout Abdul Carter, Franklin wanted Carter to be a defensive end. Carter, a four-star recruit, committed to Penn State, but he and his dad resisted a position change from linebacker.
Following his sophomore season, Carter made the switch to defensive end, citing a chance to play faster and not thinking as much. Saturday marked his fourth game at the position.
Carter, who was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, delivered four tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble, a huge performance against Illinois as he seemed to have settled into the new role.
Franklin said Carter will only get better.
“As he gets more comfortable, we start to put more things on his plate,” Franklin said Monday. “Whether it’s just lining him up one time on the left, another time lining him up on the right. Just that alone, so [other teams] can’t game plan.”
Carter also had eight pressures with a 24% pass-rush win rate.
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With his performance coming against Penn State’s only ranked matchup so far, it seems like he’d have similar numbers against lesser competition. But Carter’s first sack didn’t come until Game 3 against Kent State.
As Carter adjusted to the position, he tried not to “do too much” and simply do his job.
Junior running back Nick Singleton said he’s proud of Carter.
“He loves to wreck everything in the backfield,” Singleton said. “He brings the energy out in practice and in games, too.”
At 6-foot-3, 259 pounds, Carter has the intangibles of a linebacker while having the athletic ability of a high-caliber edge rusher with closing speed, which he showed on Saturday chasing down Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer.
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Lining up on the ball requires a deeper tool kit to shed blocks and get to the quarterback. He says he recognizes that and he plans to continue to grow.
“The sky’s the limit,” Carter said following the game. “Especially in my technique, just knowing the game, film study. Just areas like that — I feel like I got a lot to do.”