Abdul Carter's sterling Penn State debut sets stage for what's next
Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz recognized Abdul Carter’s talent before the true freshman linebacker stepped on campus. Even before Diaz had moved into his second-floor office at the Lasch Building, that was true.
Settling into his new role with the Nittany Lions last year at this time, Diaz reflected on the explosiveness and production that “jumped off the tape” on Carter’s senior highlight tape. An On3 four-star ranked No. 129 nationally by the recruiting service, Carter looked the part.
Backing it up with his performance through the course of the season, Carter’s abilities are no longer of Diaz’s concern, though. Having shown consistent improvement from one week to the next, the second-team All-Big Ten selection now has to keep it going.
“I’m just proud of the way that he developed through the course of the year. Certainly, he made some flash plays early on like at Auburn. But, there’s a difference between flashing and being a real guy down after down,” Diaz said. “And I think the second half of the season, I thought he got better and better, helped us as a defense get better and better.
“The trick now is that obsession with improvement can’t stop because he played well for a freshman. Next year, playing well for freshmen will not be enough in year two. So that’ll be his challenge. And this bowl will be a bridge to that like it is for a lot of our guys.”
Impressive first showing
Despite missing all but one snap of his debut appearance at Purdue thanks to a targeting ejection, Carter’s stat line reflected that improvement this season.
Carter finished second on the team in tackles with 55.0. In tackles for loss (10.5) and sacks (6.5), he led the Nittany Lions. And with a pair of forced fumbles, four passes broken up, and five quarterback hurries, the stat-sheet-stuffing nature of Carter’s abilities manifested itself seemingly every week.
Echoing Diaz’s comments, though, the foundation of Carter’s career as a Nittany Lion is now being counted upon as remaining exactly that. A starting point rather than a destination, special teams coordinator Stacy Collins, also a coach of Penn State’s linebackers, pointed out the task now at hand for the Philadelphia product.
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“Abdul’s had an unbelievable freshman year. And he’s taken a lot of reps, so he’s able to continue to grow and develop,” Collins told reporters on Friday. “I’m excited to see not only where he’s at now, but as he continues to grow.
“I think that the sky’s the limit for Abdul. Now, you gotta keep grinding, you need to keep working. But, he’s been a pleasure to be around and be in the room with.”
Next steps for Abdul Carter
Carter is determined to hold up his end of that equation.
Reflecting on his first campaign in the program with in-house reporter Brian Tripp after the Nittany Lions’ regular-season finale win over Michigan State, Carter stressed the experience of the year as being paramount.
Building up his confidence in the process, it’s an upward trajectory that Carter wants to continue.
“Getting out there longer just helped build my confidence and helped me play faster,” he said. “(The season) went by in a flash. I feel like I blinked and it’s over.
“It was just getting experience this year so you can come back next year even better. So I just think gaining experience was the best thing for me.”
