Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1518105
A P R I L 2 0 2 4 2 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M feel really good about the current room. Being able to inject Abdul into that room is going to be a positive for us as well." Carter joins a defensive end group that must replace a pair of All-Big Ten starters in Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac. Both participated in the NFL Scouting Combine in February, and both are certain to be selected in the upcoming draft, with Robinson being hailed as a likely first-rounder. Dani Dennis-Sutton, who was viewed by the coaching staff as essentially a third starter last season, is back for his junior campaign. Dennis-Sutton moved into the starting lineup in the Peach Bowl after Robinson opted out. He's all but assured of winning one of the first- team spots, while Carter will likely man the opposite position. Seniors Zuriah Fisher, Amin Vanover and Smith Vil- bert, sophomore Jameial Lyons and oth- ers will slot in behind them in a solid ro- tation for position coach Deion Barnes. As for the linebackers room that Carter is leaving behind, sophomore Tony Rojas figures to step into a start- ing role alongside redshirt junior Kobe King. Redshirt junior Dominic DeLuca and senior Tyler Elsdon will have key roles too, of course, as will redshirt sophomore Keon Wylie. 'He'll Be Unstoppable' Franklin said that part of the reason for the position switch was to allow Carter to continue his physical matura- tion. Currently listed at 6-foot-3, 250 pounds, he was struggling to keep his weight low enough to do all that was asked of him as a linebacker. "I think his body was naturally telling him he could make the move if he needed to and wanted to," Franklin said. "And there's an opportunity there. With us having depth and talent and the type of length that we want at the defensive end position, I think this is going to be a win- win for everybody. I know Abdul is excited about it, and we're looking forward to having an opportunity to work with him. "But it is a big change. He's never really done this before, and it's a big change." Chuck Losey, Penn State's strength and conditioning coach for football, agreed that Carter has the tools to excel at either position, describing him as "a physically gifted kid." "His body can pretty much go in whatever direction we want it to," Losey explained. "For me to stand here and say, well, we've got this plan to put 20 pounds on, I mean, he's still a young guy who's only going to be in his third year. His frame is still filling out, so he's naturally growing into that position." Those who know Carter best say he's ready for the change. Speaking with re- porters after finishing up his Pro Day work on March 15, Robinson called it a good move for the third-year defender. "He's so natural as a pass rusher and just as an athlete," Robinson said. "When he gets with Deion and they're just working on the little details or fin- ishes, as a player, he'll be unstoppable. "I talked to him. He's a natural pass rusher anyway because he was com- ing with blitzes and stuff like that with Coach Manny [Diaz], so it's something he's already used to. He's just being on the line of scrimmage every single play." Robinson made a similar move early in his college career. He had started out at Maryland, where he played an outside linebacker spot as a true freshman. Be- lieving he would be more effective in an edge-rushing role, Robinson entered the transfer portal ahead of his sophomore season and ended up at Penn State, where Diaz was quite happy to station him at his preferred position. He went on to amass 9.5 sacks in his two seasons with the Nit- tany Lions, developing into one of the top defensive ends in the country. Robinson said that rushing the passer as a defensive end is different from do- ing it as a linebacker. When you're a linebacker, you have a chance to build up momentum as you approach the line of scrimmage, whereas defensive ends are already stationed at the line and have to accelerate immediately. "When you're on the line, you've just got to get off fast, and the person is right in front of you," Robinson said. "That's the biggest difference right there." Carter has been working out as an edge rusher this spring, a change that he and his father pro- posed to the coaching staff following the 2023 season. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS "I think he's going to do great. To me, he's a natural guy at football, so wherever you put him, I think he'll make a great impact." F O R M E R P S U T E A M M A T E C H O P R O B I N S O N O N C A R T E R