It likely came as a surprise for Penn State’s Abdul Carter when he wasn’t announced as the recipient of the Bronko Nagurski Award for the nation’s best defensive player. His 19.5 tackles for loss lead the Power Four and his 10 sacks rank second in the Big Ten. However, Carter’s loss to South Carolina’s Kyle Kennard didn’t discourage him. He was motivated.
“Bet, I gotta go harder,” Carter posted on X.
That night, Carter did push-ups until his arms gave out. It was his own way of turning something negative into something positive. Carter said he wanted to gain an advantage or an edge that could propel him forward. As if his talent has ever been questioned, Carter’s latest motivating factor couldn’t come at a better time for the Nittany Lions, who will host SMU in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday.
“I still feel like I’m the best defensive player,” Carter said on Tuesday. “But not just defensive player, I feel like I’m the best player in general.”
Carter’s contemporaries appear to, mostly, agree with his opinion of himself. Whether it’s opposing coaches, teammates and staff at Penn State or NFL scouts, Carter’s greatness can hardly be denied. He’s an almost certain first-round selection in the upcoming NFL Draft, and his film explains why.
Mustangs’ head coach Rhett Lashlee has watched the tape. Lashlee knows exactly what he and his program are getting into when they line up against Carter and the Nittany Lions.
“Abdul Carter’s the best defensive player we’ve played in my time at SMU, based on the film I’ve seen,” Lashlee said. “He’s a problem.”
At this point, there’s no argument that Carter’s offseason transition from linebacker to defensive end was a success. He was named the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Year following a regular season that saw his statistics improve dramatically in almost every category. He’s now become a dual-threat weapon that can rush the passer and drop into coverage.
“You see him at linebacker, and he is just incredible. He’s physical, he flies around and makes plays,” Lashlee said. “And then they move him to defensive end this year, and he’s got as good a get-off as anybody in college football. There’s a reason he’s a top-five, top-10 pick in the upcoming draft.”
The position flexibility and willingness to oblige to creative sets by defensive coordinator Tom Allen has made Carter one of the more difficult overall players to game plan for. Much like tight end Tyler Warren is used offensively, Carter is efficient no matter where he sets up and can leave coaches guessing how and where he’ll be used leading up to a game.
There may not be a more impactful defensive player in this year’s playoffs than Carter. He knows it just as well as everyone around him.
“I believe he’s the best defense player in the country, and he’s proven that each week,” Allen said. “And so the bottom line is that, as you get into this game with SMU, it’s going to be another opportunity for him to be able to do what he does best, which is disrupt.”
