Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1518105
3 0 A P R I L 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Isaac, too, is bullish on Carter's po- tential as a defensive end, noting that "his movement is phenomenal." But the two-year starter also pointed out that Carter will have to learn to disengage from blockers who are stationed directly across from him at the line of scrimmage. "It's just a little bit different when it comes to being a D-end and having to use your hands more than at linebacker when you have to live at the line of scrim- mage," Isaac said. "Things happen a lot quicker. It's just [a matter of] having his brain ready for all the scenarios that you might get at this position, getting muscle memory and just getting comfortable. "He's going to be great. All it takes is reps." Franklin said he believes Carter will need time to master all of those details. "It's not like you make the decision to move and you snap your fingers and automatically you're a defensive end," he said. "It's a different world the closer you get to the ball, just like it's a differ- ent world if you move back to the sec- ondary. But we're excited about watch- ing his development and growth." 'A Unique Skill Set' Isaac sees the four-star recruit from the class of 2022 as a natural fit at his new home on the field. "I think he'll be excellent," Isaac said. "He's got a unique skill set where you can plug and play him anywhere. I feel like him moving to end is going to heighten what he can do on the field even to a higher spectrum. "Obviously, it takes a little more tech- nique at D-end. It's a little different kind of mindset. But you know, I don't think that's going to be a problem for him at all moving to D-end and having that upside at D-end as well." Added linebacker Curtis Jacobs, per Pro Football Focus, "A lot of quarter- backs will be sacked." Carter had not been made available to reporters as of late March, but he looks terrific from a size perspective at his new position. How well he performs remains to be seen, but after a highly productive start to his career — 104 tackles (16 for loss), 11 sacks, 1 interception, 3 forced fumbles and 9 pass breakups in two seasons — it stands to reason that this will likely be his best season yet. That's because he is going to be directed to do what he does best: disrupt the opposing backfield and bring ball carriers to the ground behind the line of scrimmage. "I think he's going to do great," Rob- inson said. "To me, he's a natural guy at football, so wherever you put him, I think he'll make a great impact. "We talked here and there, and we mainly talked about checking up with each other. We haven't really talked about ball. But I know if he needs some tips, he'll come to me, and I'll also come to him, be- cause he's good at pass rushing himself." ■ Carter racked up 16 tackles for loss and 11 sacks during his first two seasons as a weakside linebacker in then-coordinator Manny Diaz's defense. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL