Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1524108
6 2 A U G U S T 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 / / / / / / / 2 0 2 4 F O O T B A L L P R E V I E W / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / he's going to go as hard as he can. If that ball is 40 yards down the field, he's go- ing to run 40 yards downfield and chase that ball." Franklin also noted Dennis-Sutton's penchant for playing the game at maxi- mum intensity. "There's just such a physical aspect to his game in everything — in pass rush and run defense and block destruction," Franklin said. "He's got such a motor. … He just plays the game the way you want it played." As for Carter, it's no secret that he's one of the most physically gifted play- ers to suit up for Penn State since Par- sons. That's a major reason why the Philadelphia native was chosen to wear the team's fabled No. 11 jersey. Previ- ously worn by the likes of LaVar Ar- rington, NaVorro Bowman and eventu- ally Parsons, the number is reserved for the best of the best. This coming season will be the first time we see it worn by a defensive end rather than a linebacker. That's fine with Franklin, though. Describing him as "very, very talented," the veteran coach said Carter has adapted well to his new role as part of Penn State's defensive front four. "The transition has probably gone bet- ter and faster than I thought it would," Franklin said. "It's a different world up there. It sounds good, but it's a major dif- ference, and he's really transitioned very, very well. He's been physical, he's been explosive off the edge. There are still some things he's learning, but his transition has gone probably better and faster than an- ticipated." With the 6-3 Carter now pushing 260 pounds, his frame and explosiveness are just what Penn State is looking for off the edge. The Lions like to have some brawny de- fensive ends in the mix for playing time, a trend that's exem- plified this year by Dennis-Sutton and the 268-pound senior Amin Vanover, as well as Carter. "Size-wise, he's exactly where he should be," strength and conditioning coach Chuck Losey said. "Part of that is because we have such a good competition at the defensive end position. That room is crammed full of guys, young and old. They compete, they work, and there are a lot of big bodies in there for that position. You think about Dani and Amin, you've got some big-body defensive ends in there compared to the ones we've had. It wasn't hard for Abdul to get up to speed." Carter's positional move is also about maximizing his potential long-term. Since arriving on campus in 2022, he has been compared to Parsons by fans, me- dia and many inside the Lasch Building. Seeing what Parsons has done at the pro- fessional level gave both Carter and the coaching staff something to think about. "I'm definitely versatile," Carter said. "I feel like I can play anywhere that my coach needs me to play and get the job done." The move, he explained, "was some- thing I thought about. I just had to sit down and talk to the people that I trust the most, have a real deep conversation, and make sure we were making the best decision possible. It was the right deci- sion." 'He's A Quick Learner' During the past two years, Carter has been a force for the Nittany Lions as a linebacker, totaling 105 tackles, in- cluding 16 for loss and 11 sacks. While he was excelling at linebacker, though, the staff also saw his potential rushing off the edge. According to Pro Football Focus, Carter finished with a 90.3 pass- rushing grade, which was fourth-best in the Big Ten out of 107 players who rushed the passer at least 100 times. At the Power Five level, that number ranked 10th overall out of more than 500 play- ers. Carter's coachability has been a big reason for his success in Happy Val- ley. If he's able to take that coaching to the next level this fall — and early feed- back suggests he will — there's reason to believe that Carter could have his best season yet. "Abdul is a quick learner. Anybody that knows Abdul knows he's a competitor," Dennis-Sutton said this spring when asked about what he's seen from Carter. "He likes to compete in everything. Ev- erything we've pretty much been doing in practice has translated into our team reps. He was just killing guys in [pass-protec- tion drills]. He was literally unblockable for like four straight plays, which was crazy. So yeah, he's adjusted really well to everything we do. He's adapted and he's going to have a big year at D-end." Added Barnes, "I think he's doing a good job of just trying to learn and soak up all the information that he can, and then trying to apply that on the football field. He's not leaving any question un- answered." ■ Scholarship Players (21) No. Player Yr. Ht. Wt. DEFENSIVE END 11 Abdul Carter Jr. 6-3 259 33 Dani Dennis-Sutton Jr. 6-5 272 36 Zuriah Fisher R-Sr. 6-3 254 44 Jaylen Harvey Fr. 6-2 263 19 Jameial Lyons So. 6-5 251 56 Joseph Mupoyi R-Fr. 6-5 260 42 Mason Robinson R-Fr. 6-3 245 15 Amin Vanover Sr. 6-4 268 92 Smith Vilbert R-Sr.+ 6-6 292 20 Mylachi Williams Fr. 6-3 237 DEFENSIVE TACKLE 90 Liam Andrews Fr. 6-4 260 58 Kaleb Artis R-So. 6-4 323 51 Hakeem Beamon R-Sr.+ 6-3 285 39 Ty Blanding R-Fr. 6-1 286 94 De'Andre Cook Fr. 6-4 286 97 T.A. Cunningham Fr. 6-5 280 28 Zane Durant Jr. 6-1 290 50 Alonzo Ford Jr. R-Sr. 6-2 319 54 Xavier Gilliam Fr. 6-2 306 99 Coziah Izzard Sr. 6-3 310 91 Dvon J-Thomas R-Sr.+ 6-1 304 "He's been physical, he's been explosive off the edge. There are still some things he's learning, but his transition has gone probably better and faster than anticipated." J A M E S F R A N K L I N O N C A R T E R