Abdul Carter opens up about Penn State position switch from linebacker to defensive end
STATE COLLEGE — Penn State coach James Franklin said a month ago that Abdul Carter brought the idea of changing his position to the Lions staff after the 2023 season ended. They were agreeable to moving the All-Big Ten defender from linebacker to defensive end. So, they did. Throughout the 15 spring practices that took place between mid-March and Saturday’s Blue-White game, the 11th-year head coach of the Nittany Lions frequently praised the transition. Carter, though, had not been available to talk about it. That changed following a 27-0 win for Team White over Team Blue, which featured a lot of explosiveness and a tackle for loss from the newly-converted pass rush. And, like his head coach, Carter is happy with the move.
“It was something I thought about,” Carter said. “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 decision.”
Why?
“I love challenges,” Carter said. “I love trying new things and taking on new things, and that’s something I’m doing right now, going through a big change within my position. It’s going good for me now. I want to play fast and play physical and do what I do best.”
More: 5 Penn State football takeaways from the 2024 Blue-White game
Carter did not start the annual intrasquad scrimmage. Perhaps that was an ode to the work Dani Dennis-Sutton and Amin Vanover have previously put in or perhaps it’s the way the depth chart truly looks. Either way, expect to see a lot of the Philadelphia native this fall in addition to the other two aforementioned guys, plus Jameial Lyons, Zuriah Fisher, and others. It’s true that Carter may play fewer snaps at end than he did as a linebacker, considering the way Penn State has long rotated through its defensive ends. However, he has the chance to impact the game quicker by starting at the point of attack. And, that’s something that hasn’t slowed him down so far.
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The move will also allow him to put a different set of abilities on tape for NFL evaluators. All in all, it should equal a win-win for the player and the team this fall.
“I wouldn’t say anything is super tough,” Carter, who played defensive end for just one season in high school, said. “It’s just more of dealing with the offensive linemen from from the snap rather than being at depth at linebacker and coming down hill. But, there’s nothing extremely tough that I’m going through.
“I’m definitely versatile. I feel like I can play anywhere that my coach needs me to play and get the job done.”
