Abdul Carter injury update: Latest on Penn State LB ahead of Orange Bowl vs. Notre Dame

The Penn State Nittany Lions got some rough news on one of their best defenders ahead of their CFP Semifinal matchup with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Thursday night. Star linebacker Abdul Carter, one of the best linebackers in all of college football, will be limited with an injury. More than an hour before kickoff, Pete Thamel of ESPN revealed an update on his injury status on the College GameDay preview show.

Pete Thamel update on PSU LB Abdul Carter

“Abdul Carter has not yet come out in warmups. He may be running out right now with that group that’s coming out here. I’ve been told he’s been dealing with a shoulder injury and he’s expected to be about 85 percent tonight. Guys he averages 46 snaps a game. I’ve been told he’s not gonna take that many snaps tonight. Look for him to be worked in situationally–pass rush downs. It’s gonna be a pain tolerance threshold issue. James Franklin called it a gametime decision. Expect him to play, but be limited,” Thamel said on Thursday evening.

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Carter ranks fourth in the country in defensive pressures this season, with 17.7% for the 2024-2025 campaign. Before the game, he got his picture taken with two other famous players that wore the No. 11 for the Nittany Lions–LaVar Arrington and Micah Parsons. Carter has 21.5 tackles for loss this season and was named the 2024 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. He is currently rated as the No. 2 prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft, according to Mel Kiper Jr.

Early in the first half, Carter was dominating the right side of the Notre Dame offensive line. And while his shoulder was wrapped, he was still making a significant impact on the game, forcing Riley Leonard to throw an interception late in the first quarter.