Penn State photos: See the Nittany Lions defense in action as spring practice gets underway
![penn-state-football-abdul-carter-march013](https://on3static.com/cdn-cgi/image/height=417,width=795,quality=90,fit=cover,gravity=0.5x0.5/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/13130404/penn-state-football-abdul-carter-march013.jpg)
Penn State football opened spring practice on Tuesday. It offered the chance to see numerous Nittany Lion newcomers in action. The list includes transfer portal cornerback pickups AJ Harris and Jalen Kimber, first-year defensive coordinator Tom Allen, and a number of Class of 2024 early enrollees. It also offered a chance to see Abdul Carter working with the defensive linemen for the first time as he preps to play in the trenches full-time following an All-Big Ten start to his career at linebacker.
“I know Abdul is excited about it, and we’re looking forward to have an opportunity to work with him, but it is a big change,” James Franklin said this week. “He’s never really done this before, and it is a big change.
“It’s not just like you make the decision to move and you snap your fingers and automatically you’re a defensive end. It’s a different world the closer you get to the ball, just like it’s a different world if you move back to the secondary. We’re excited about watching his development and growth, and it should be exciting.”
Penn State will be back on the practice field Thursday. Blue-White Illustrated will have continuing coverage of the Nittany Lions’ march to the Blue-White game on April 13.
More: Five more scholarship prospects added to Penn State’s March 16 visitor list
“We’re hopeful that we’re going to be able to have more of a traditional spring game, which I think has become more and more challenging the last couple of years and to be honest with you in college football it’s been more and more challenging,” Franklin said. “Seeing a lot of people go away from spring games and have kind of had more of a practice or skills type activity in front of the fans.
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“We’re hopeful that we can have more of a traditional spring game, which I think will be really valuable as well.”
Links to stories from earlier in the week and more photos can be found below. First, though, we’ll give you a closer look at the defense.
A look at Penn State newcomers on defense
![penn-state-football-vaboue-toure](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/13130546/unnamed-file-1024x538.jpg)
![](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/13130458/tom-allen-penn-state-football-march013A-1024x538.jpg)
![penn-state-football-jordan-lucas-march013](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/13130422/penn-state-football-jordan-lucas-march013-1024x538.jpg)
![justin-lustig-penn-state-football-march013](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/13130247/justin-lustig-penn-state-football-march013-1024x538.jpg)
![](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/13130152/jalen-kimber-penn-state-football-march-13-1024x538.jpg)
![aj-harris-penn-state-football-march013](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/13130055/aj-harris-penn-state-football-march013-1024x538.jpg)
![Penn State safety Vaboue Toure](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/13090330/vaboue-toure-penn-state-football-on3-1024x538.jpg)
![Linebacker Kari Jackson](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/13085858/kari-jackson-penn-state-football-on3-1024x538.jpg)
![Penn State cornerback Jalen Kimber](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/13085446/jalen-kimber-penn-state-football-on3-1024x538.jpg)
![Defensive end Jaylen Harvey](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/13085430/jaylen-harvey-penn-state-football-on3-1024x538.jpg)
![defense-penn-state-football-jon-mitchell-2](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/12174437/defense-penn-state-football-jon-mitchell-2-1024x538.jpg)
![defense-penn-state-football-aj-harris-2](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/12174431/defense-penn-state-football-aj-harris-2-1024x538.jpg)
![](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/12174444/defese-penn-state-football-deandre-cook-march-12-1-1024x538.jpg)
![](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/12174526/defense-penn-state-football-aj-harris-march-12-1024x538.jpg)
![defense-penn-state-football-antoine-belgrave-shorter-march012](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/12174532/defense-penn-state-football-antoine-belgrave-shorter-march012-1024x538.jpg)
![defense-penn-state-football-antoine-belgrave-shorter-march012](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/12174539/defense-penn-state-football-jon-mitchell-march-12-1024x538.jpg)
![defense-penn-state-football-deandre-cook-march-12](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/12174551/defense-penn-state-football-deandre-cook-march-12-1024x538.jpg)
![](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/12174557/defense-penn-state-football-jordan-mayer-march-12-1024x538.jpg)
![defense-xavier-gilliam-penn-state-football-march-12](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/12174603/defense-xavier-gilliam-penn-state-football-march-12-1024x538.jpg)
![defense-penn-state-football-jaylen-harvey-march-12](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/12174608/defense-penn-state-football-jaylen-harvey-march-12-1024x538.jpg)
See Nittany Lion returners on defense
![](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/13130604/zion-tracy-pemn-state-football-1024x538.jpg)
![zakee-wheatley-penn-state-football](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/13130552/zakee-wheatley-penn-state-football-1024x538.jpg)
![Tyrece Mills](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/13130539/tyrece-mills-penn-state-football-march-13-1024x538.jpg)
![](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/13130516/tony-rojas-penn-state-football-march013-1024x538.jpg)
![penn-state-football-smith-vilbert-march013](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/13130428/penn-state-football-smith-vilbert-march013-1024x538.jpg)
![](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/13130358/penn-state-football-abdul-carter-march-13-1024x538.jpg)
![keon-wylie-penn-state-football-march013](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/13130311/keon-wylie-penn-state-football-march013-1024x538.jpg)
![](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/13130253/kaleb-artis-penn-state-football-1024x538.jpg)
![](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/13130305/keon-wylie-penn-state-football-march-13-1024x538.jpg)
![kj-winston-penn-state-football-march013](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/13130335/kj-winston-penn-state-football-march013-1024x538.jpg)
![](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/13130204/jameial-lyons-penn-state-football-march013-1024x538.jpg)
![dakarri-nelson-penn-state-football-march-13](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/13130122/dakarri-nelson-penn-state-football-march-13-1024x538.jpg)
![dominic-deluca-kobe-king-penn-state-football-march13](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/13130134/dominic-deluca-kobe-king-penn-state-football-march13-1024x538.jpg)
![](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/13130140/dvon-ellies-penn-state-football-1024x538.jpg)
![elliot-washington-penn-state-football-march-12](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/13130146/elliot-washington-penn-state-football-march-12-1024x538.jpg)
![](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/03/13130111/cam-miller-penn-state-football-march-13-1024x538.jpg)
More Penn State spring practice coverage
Practice notes: Offense | Defense
See PSU newcomers Julian Fleming, Nolan Rucci, AJ Harris, and more at first practice
Penn State football sets priorities as spring practices kick off: Notes
PSU seeks leadership as spring practice starts: Column
Photo Gallery: Penn State kicks off spring practice
Penn State roster update: Who has a new number in 2024?
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