Penn State linebacker Abdul Carter’s well publicized change to defensive end this offseason doesn’t mean Nittany Lion fans won’t be seeing him at linebacker again while in a Blue and White uniform, according to head coach James Franklin.
“He’ll play both,” Franklin said during his press conference at Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis. “We have the flexibility to play him at both positions. He’s one of the unique athletes that was playing linebacker at 250 pounds. You never know how that transition is going to go, playing in space at the linebacker position compared to moving up to the line of scrimmage and having to go against the offensive tackles. He made the adjustment pretty quickly.”
Carter’s change will be an entertaining one to watch. In 2023, his production slowed a bit, posting 26 solo total tackles, 10 off his first season’s total the year prior. All the same, Carter proved to be one of the more explosive, talented and enjoyable defensive players to follow in the Big Ten. Even if his numbers dropped off ever so slightly, he still managed to be a force to be reckoned with for opponents across the league. Carter even played with a minor injury during Penn State’s eventual bowl loss to Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl to start off 2024, only furthering his impossible-to-stop persona.
However many snaps Carter takes at linebacker this year, it will be an asset for a Penn State team ready to field Kobe King, Dom DeLuca and rising star Tony Rojas at the position on a more regular basis. A welcome sight for new Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen.
“At the end of the day, you’re talking about one of the more explosive, physical athletes in all of college football,” Franklin said. “We think he has the ability to make a significant impact. Week to week we’ll decide where he’ll have the most impact for us, whether it’s on the line of scrimmage at defensive end or in the linebacker position. This spring he stayed mainly at defensive end to get comfortable with that, and then after that we had a really good conversation, and he’s open to doing both. That will also put us in a position where people can’t game plan and know exactly where he’s going to be on the defense. So we’re excited about that.”
Wherever Carter gets the most action, Penn State will be happy to have him on the field. With Ohio State, Washington, UCLA and USC all on the schedule, not to mention trips to Minnesota and Wisconsin, the Nittany Lions will need an all-hands on deck approach for a season that will feature a newly expanded Big Ten and College Football Playoffs.
“We need him and expect for him to have a huge year for us.” Franklin said.
