Now that college football has largely hit the midway point of the season, midseason assessments and honors are being handed out left and right. ESPN has also shared an updated look at its top 25 players for the 2025 season, and just one Penn State football player makes an appearance on the list.
Defensive end Abdul Carter is ranked no. 22 on the list of the top 25 players from ESPN. Carter’s current rank is two spots lower than he appeared on ESPN’s preseason list of the top 100 players in college football.
Carter leads Penn State with 4.0 sacks and 9.5 tackles for a loss of yardage this season. Carter has deflected three passes and forced a fumble through the first six games of the season. His move from linebacker to defensive end has taken a little time to fully thrive but it seems to be hitting its stride at a good time.
Perhaps the biggest omission on Penn State’s roster from ESPN’s list is tight end Tyler Warren. Warren leads the Nittany Lions with 513 receiving yards after a massive day catching the football in an overtime win at USC last weekend. Warren accounted for 224 receiving yards against the Trojans, which is the second-most in a single game in program history, and he tied the FBS record for most receptions in a single game by a tight end (17). Warren was also named a midseason All-American by the Senior Bowl and CBS Sports.
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