Tag: Abdul Carter

Abdul Carter, Dani Dennis-Sutton land in USA TODAY 2025 mock NFL draft

Will Abdul Carter be a first-round draft pick in 2025? And who else could join him?

The 2024 NFL draft saw plenty of Penn State players get their names called at the podium. A total of eight Penn State players had their NFL dreams realized by being drafted in this year’s draft, including two first-round picks with Olu Fashanu and Chop Robinson. Now, looking ahead to the 2025 NFL draft, two more Penn State players could be looking like potential first-round draft picks.

USA TODAY Sports writer Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz published his 2025 way-too-early mock draft and included two Penn State players in his first mock draft. [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag], who is making a move from linebacker to defensive end this season, is the first Nittany Lion on his mock draft. Carter lands at no. 22 on this mock draft, going to the Atlanta Falcons.

“Carter could follow Micah Parsons and Chop Robinson in becoming Penn State’s next explosive first-round defender,” Middlehurst-Schwartz says. “He has the chance to go considerably higher than this if his move this year from linebacker to a full-time defensive end role is fruitful, but he’s currently facing a misdemeanor assault charge in an alleged incident with a tow truck driver.”

The other Penn State player on the mock draft is defensive lineman Dani Dennis-Sutton, who just gets in at pick no. 32 to the San Francisco 49ers.

“At 6-5 and 270 pounds, Dennis-Sutton puts together an impressive set of athletic tools for highly respected 49ers defensive line coach Kris Kocurek to bring along,” Middlehurst-Schwartz says. “He also would give San Francisco someone who could be a long-term fixture opposite Nick Bosa.”

That would certainly be a heck of a duo on the defensive line for the 49ers, who already have a couple of Penn State players on the roster, including last year’s addition of safety Ji’Ayir Brown.

Of course, a lot can change from now until next year’s draft gets started. Kalen King was projected to be a likely first-round pick a year ago as well, and he slid to one of the last few picks in the 2024 draft. But, if Carter and Dennis-Sutton fulfill these expectations of being first-round picks, it looks like Penn State’s defense will be in for a pretty big year.

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Abdul Carter switching positions in Penn State’s defense in 2024

Penn State’s best defensive player switching positions ahead of the 2024 season.

Spring practices are underway in Happy Valley, so a new football season is approaching. Earlier today, Penn State fans got wind that the school updated its 2024 roster, which included position changes for a few players.

No position change was more notable than All-Big Ten linebacker [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag] switching to defensive end. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound junior had a solid finish last season, tallying 4.5 sacks, including 3.5 in November. Carter owns 11.5 sacks through his two college seasons, and ever since he dawned the No. 11 Penn State jersey, he has been compared to [autotag]Micah Parsons[/autotag].

A similar plan was often discussed before Parsons’ last season at Penn State to get him more pass-rushing opportunities, but that never fully materialized.

This time around, it looks as though [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and [autotag]Tom Allen[/autotag] are looking to maximize their best defensive player’s ability to disrupt opposing offensives. With the switch to defensive end, Carter can form a potentially potent pairing with former five-star recruit [autotag]Dani Dennis-Sutton[/autotag] and help replace the productivity lost from [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag] and [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag].

Penn State will now have to replace Carter’s spot at linebacker, but that might be taken care of with another position change. Former safety Tyrece Mills is now listed as a linebacker on the team’s roster and could replace the roles of either NFL draft-bound [autotag]Curtis Jacobs[/autotag] or Carter.

Former All-Big Ten linebacker Abdul Carter switched to defensive end ahead of the 2024 season, just like a Penn State great did before him.

Like with Micah Parsons a few years ago, no matter Abdul Carter’s position, he will be a disrupter. Watching an entire season of Carter at the defensive end and how this change can make the Penn State defense more dynamic will be exciting.

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Peach Bowl dud ends Penn State’s season with 38-25 loss to Ole Miss

Penn State’s frustrating season ended with a blowout loss to Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl.

A year after celebrating a bowl victory in a shower of rose petals, Penn State’s end to the 2023 season was anything but peachy. Penn State was dominated by Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl and ended the year with a stinker in a 38-25 loss in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Saturday afternoon. The Nittany Lions defense was shredded by Ole Miss, which took advantage of favorable matchups in the passing game all afternoon in Atlanta.

Penn State struck first with a field goal by [autotag]Alex Felkins[/autotag] from 26 yards on their first offensive series of the game. That came after the defense forced a quick three-and-out against the Ole Miss defense to start the game, which led to Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart heading to the medical tent at the end of the brief possession.

Penn State may have caught some breaks on the ensuing Ole Miss possession. After the Rebels entered the red zone, officials blew dead what could have been a live ball for an Ole Miss touchdown due to a whistle for an offside penalty on Penn State. The Rebels had to settle for a field goal after officials missed another potential penalty on Penn State on the following snap.

Both teams scored twice in the second quarter with Penn State scoring a pair of touchdowns with a touchdown pass from [autotag]Beau Pribula[/autotag] to [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] and a [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] pass to [autotag]Theo Johnson[/autotag]. But the half ended with Penn State trailing by a score of 20-17 after giving up 340 yards of offense to the Rebels. And of the 115 passing yards Allar had at the half, 75 of them came on one play at the end of the first quarter when [autotag]Tyler Warren[/autotag] caught a pass and ran for a big gain.

Dart had gotten in a rhythm with his passing and gashed a Penn State defense playing without its top two defensive backs and top defensive end, and a defense that took some injuries at linebacker in the first half to [autotag]Kobe King[/autotag] and [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag]. Dart connected six times in the first half with tight end Caden Prieskorn, twice for a touchdown and three times for a first down, and five times with star wide receiver Tre Harris, each time for a first down.

The third quarter was a disaster for Penn State. The offense went three-and-out on all three third-quarter possessions. Meanwhile, the Rebels just continued to take advantage of its tempo to leave the Penn State defense scrambling and unable to catch up. Ole Miss added 10 points to its halftime lead and took a 31-17 lead into the fourth quarter. At that point, the game was all but decided as Penn State’s threat of a comeback was thwarted with a blocked field goal that led to an Ole Miss touchdown run by Dart to put the game well out of reach at 38-17. A late touchdown pass from Allar to [autotag]Harrison Wallace III[/autotag] cut into the Ole Miss lead, but was too little, too late.

Penn State played the Peach Bowl without some key players who opted out of the game with an eye toward their NFL futures. Penn State was without offensive lineman [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag], defensive end [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag], and cornerback [autotag]Kalen King[/autotag]. All three could be potential first-round draft picks in the 2024 NFL draft. Penn State was also without [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag], who left his position as defensive coordinator to become the head coach at Duke. The defense looked disorganized, which should have been expected given the absences from what was rated one of the top defensive units of the season. But the offensive struggles were nothing new for the roster, and there was no evidence of finding ways to change things up in the bowl game.

Penn State will now look forward to the 2024 college football season, which will be quite an interesting year for the Big Ten and the entire college football landscape. Penn State will open the 2024 season on the road at West Virginia on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. The Big Ten will also welcome four new members in Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington, and Penn State will face each of them except for Oregon. The College Football Playoff will also expand to 12 teams next season, making it easier than ever for the Nittany Lions to get into the playoff mix in the playoff era. Well, if they can patch up the offense at all between now and next fall.

Penn State’s spring game, the Blue-White Game, is scheduled for Saturday, April 13, 2024.

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Olu Fashanu named Big Ten offensive lineman of the year

The return of Olu Fashanu paid off for Penn State in 2023. Now he’s adding some hardware to his collection.

When offensive lineman [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag] announced he would be returning for another year at Penn State, it was a bit of a shock. Expected to be a potential first-round draft pick had he declared for the 2023 NFL draft, Fashanu gambled on a return for one more season of college football before turning pro. It seems that gamble has been paying off quite nicely.

On Wednesday, the Big Ten announced Fashanu had been named the Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year. He was also a consensus first-team All-Big Ten player according to Big Ten coaches and media.

Fashanu is the second Penn State player to win the Big Ten’s top offensive lineman award. [autotag]A.Q. Shipley[/autotag] received the award in 2008. Fashanu remains a clear first-round draft pick prospect, and he could be one of the earlier picks in the draft after his performance this season.

Here is a look at how the Big Ten coaches voted for the conference’s top players on the football field in 2023. Penn State was well-represented across the board this year.

All-Big Ten selections by Big Ten coaches

  • OT Olu Fashanu (first-team)
  • DE [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag] (first team)
  • LB [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag] (first team)
  • DE [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag] (second team)
  • RB [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] (second team offense, honorable mention special teams)
  • DB [autotag]Kalen King[/autotag] (second team)
  • C [autotag]Hunter Nourzad[/autotag] (second team)
  • DL [autotag]Dani Dennis-Sutton[/autotag] (third team)
  • DB [autotag]Johnny Dixon[/autotag] (third team)
  • DB [autotag]Daequan Hardy[/autotag] (third team defense; second team special teams)
  • RB [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] (third team)
  • TE [autotag]Tyler Warren[/autotag] (third team)
  • K [autotag]Alex Felkins[/autotag] (third team)
  • OL [autotag]Caedan Wallace[/autotag] (honorable mention)
  • OL [autotag]JB Nelson[/autotag] (honorable mention)
  • OL [autotag]Sal Wormley[/autotag] (honorable mention)
  • TE [autotag]Theo Johnson[/autotag] (honorable mention)
  • WR [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] (honorable mention)
  • QB [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] (honorable mention)
  • P [autotag]Riley Thompson[/autotag] (honorable mention)

 

Curtis Jacobs named Butkus Award semifinalist

Penn State linebacker Curtis Jacobs is one of 12 semifinalists for this national linebacker award.

Penn State linebacker [autotag]Curtis Jacobs[/autotag] is one of 12 semifinalists for this season’s Collegiate Butkus Award, honoring the top linebacker in college football. The Butkus Award released its list of semifinalists on Monday.

Through 9 games this season, Jacobs has 36 total tackles, 25 solo tackles, 5 tackles for a loss and 1 sack. His 36 total tackles leads the team, with two more than fellow star linebacker [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag]. Jacobs always seems to be around the football and is one of the most consistent players on what has been a tremendous defense for the Nittany Lions all year.

Jacobs is now looking to become the third player in Penn State history to win the Butkus Award. The only two players to previously win the award while wearing a Penn State uniform are [autotag]LaVar Arrington[/autotag] in 1999 and [autotag]Paul Posluszny[/autotag] in 2005.

Last year’s Butkus Award winner was Jack Campbell of Iowa, who is also the most recent Big Ten player to take home the award.

Here is the full list of semifinalists for this year’s Butkus Award.

2023 Collegiate Butkus Award Semifinalists

The winner of this year’s award will be named on or before Dec. 7.

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Best photos from Penn State’s road win at Maryland in Week 10

Check out some of the best photos available from Penn State’s dominant road win at Maryland.

Penn State head coach James Franklin had plenty of reasons to be smiling after Penn State’s dominant performance at Maryland in Week 10. In a season where Penn State has had most of its offensive struggles on the road, there was nothing to worry about in a 51-15 victory against the Terrapins. Penn State put 27 points on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter alone to run away with a win that helps keep Penn State firmly in the Big Ten East Division race with just three games remaining in the regular season.

[autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] had four touchdowns, including a pair to transfer wide receiver [autotag]Dante Cephas[/autotag], and the defense brought Taulia Tagovailoa down for 6 sacks and caused multiple turnovers by one of the Big Ten’s top passing leaders. It was a terrific boost of confidence for Penn State as it now prepares for a massive game next week at home against Michigan.

But before that page can be turned, here is a look at some of the best photos from Penn State’s lopsided road win against Maryland.

Penn State defense forces 5 turnovers in 30-13 win at Illinois

Penn State 30, Illinois 13: Penn State defense carries Nittany Lions to Big Ten-opening win at Illinois

Taking the road for the first time this season proved to be a bit of a challenge for the Penn State offense. Fortunately, the offense didn’t make the trip to Illinois alone this weekend. The Penn State defense was dominant in a 30-13 victory over the Illini with five forced turnovers in the game. Although Penn State struggled to gain control on offense, the Nittany Lions scored 20 points off the five Illini turnovers.

[autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] had a rough outing in his first road start for Penn State, but he had some big moments to help lead the team to a win. The biggest moment of the game came late in the first half for Allar as he ran for a first down, hurried to the line, and delivered a dime down the field to [autotag]Liam Clifford[/autotag] for a big gain to set up a late field goal just before halftime. That gave Penn State a 16-7 lead but the offense could not carry over any momentum at the start of the second half.

Penn State’s quarterback ended his afternoon completing 16 of 33 pass attempts for 208 yards without a touchdown, but he also did not turn the football over despite being under consistent pressure by an aggressive and well-schemed Illinois defense.

Allar also did not get some help from his wide receivers. Allar made some good throws that simply were dropped by his intended targets, including a pair to receiver Malik McClain. But Allar did miss a few open looks and couldn’t quite connect with a couple of his passes. Overall though, Allar seemed to handle the pressure of his first start out of Beaver Stadium well enough to pick up the win, and there is clearly room to improve.

But this game was all about the defense. Penn State allowed just seven points for the second straight game and has yet to allow an opponent to score more than 15 points. On a day when Penn State’s offense needed an assist, it was the defense that set the tone and shut down nearly every threat by the Illini. It started right from the start with three interceptions of Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer. Penn State managed just 13 points off of those early turnovers, but the defense made plays when it was needed the most.

[autotag]Johnny Dixon[/autotag] came up with a massive interception in the second half immediately after a big passing play by the Illini with the game still very much in question. Or so it seemed. [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag], [autotag]Daequan Hardy[/autotag], and [autotag]Cam Miller[/autotag] also got their hands on an Illinois pass attempt. Linebacker [autotag]Kobe King[/autotag] also recovered a fumble forced by [autotag]Dominic DeLuca[/autotag].

Head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] will be able to look at many self-inflicted wounds by his team in the coming week as well. Poor penalties on took Penn State’s offense out of favorable positions, including a poor unsportsmanlike penalty on receiver [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] in the first half that turned a 3rd-and-2 into a 3rd-and-17. Allar smacked his hand on a defender’s helmet on the following play and [autotag]Alex Felkins[/autotag] had a 52-yard field goal blocked. Illinois followed up with its first touchdown of the game on the ensuing possession to cut the Penn State lead to 13-7. Penn State was flagged for six penalties in the game, costing Penn State 65 yards.

Penn State will be home next weekend for a primetime matchup with Iowa. It will be the official whiteout game for the Nittany Lions.

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Joel Klatt breaks down Abdul Carter’s interception vs. Illinois

Joel Klatt breaks down Abdul Carter’s first career interception for Penn State, and social media reacts

Penn State linebacker [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag] is considered one of the best at what he does in the nation. And he’s just in his second season of college football. But in the first quarter against Illinois, Carter showed just what makes him so special by coming up with a big turnover against Illinois in a bit of a defensive battle.

Abdul Carter picked off a pass over the middle by Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer late in the first quarter, with Penn State protecting a 3-0 lead. Penn State took a 3-0 lead after forcing a turnover earlier in the quarter.

It would end up being the second of three turnovers forced by the Penn State defense in the first quarter against the Illini. Cornerback [autotag]Daequan Hardy[/autotag] intercepted a pass on the following offensive series from the Illini.

But let’s take a look at that Carter interception and some of the social media reaction to it.

Best photos from Penn State’s Week 2 win over Delaware

Check out the best photos from Penn State’s lopsided Week 2 victory over Delaware from Beaver Stadium.

Penn State went about business as usual in Week 2 against visiting Delaware. The first all-time meeting with the Blue Hens was all Penn State on both sides of the football from start to finish as Penn State improved to 2-0 with a 63-7 victory over the FCS program.

The game went about as you would expect for Penn State. The offense had far too much for Delaware to handle, the line of scrimmage battles favored Penn State on both sides of the football, and the Penn State defense really made just one bad play all afternoon, leading to Delaware’s only score in the game.

Here are some of the best photos from Penn State’s blowout victory over Delaware in Week 2.

West Virginia head coach lauds NFL draft talent on Penn State defense

West Virginia head coach Neal Brown knows his offense is going up a Penn State defense with lots of star power.

Penn State is preparing to open the 2023 season with a home opener this Saturday night against former regional rival West Virginia. In the first meeting between the two schools since 1992, West Virginia head coach Neal Brown is fully aware of just how much talent Penn State has to offer that his team will have to prepare for.

In a weekly press conference, Brown praised the star power on Penn State’s defense ahead of the Week 1 matchup. Brown said Penn State has nine draft picks on the defensive side of the football, according to WV Sports Now and reporter Mike Asti via X, formerly known as Twitter.

Nine players with NFL draft potential on one defense? Yeah, that’s pretty good. So who are those nine players Brown is referring to?

The three obvious ones are cornerback [autotag]Kalen King[/autotag], defensive end [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag], and linebacker [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag]. King is being viewed as one of the top cornerbacks in the 2024 NFL draft pool, so long as he declares for the draft after this season. Robinson has been called a possible first-round draft pick as well. Carter is still just a sophomore, but you have to imagine he is on the radar of the draft scouts already.

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Linebacker [autotag]Curtis Jacobs[/autotag] and defensive end [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag] are probably the next two to come to mind, bringing our total to five players. Other starters developing their NFL draft stock may be defensive tackles [autotag]Hakeem Beamon[/autotag] and [autotag]Dvon Ellies[/autotag]. And safety [autotag]Keaton Ellis[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Johnny Dixon[/autotag] are likely players to be on the big board for some teams, even if later in the draft process.

Penn State’s defense should be locked in from the start this week and season. After a strong showing in the spring Blue-White Game, Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz has a unit that will be able to create opportunities for the offense to do its thing.

Penn State hosts West Virginia on Saturday, Sept. 2 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

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