The status of Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter is the most notable question mark ahead of the Nittany Lions’ Orange Bowl contest against Notre Dame on Thursday. Carter injured his left arm on the first drive of the second quarter of Penn State’s 31-14 win over Boise State this past Tuesday.
On Saturday, James Franklin provided an update on Carter’s status.
“He’s doing great. His attitude was great. His mentality has been really good. We’ll see. but I think he’s taken the right approach and mentality and, really, it’s good,” Franklin said. “It’s going to come down to how he feels and how much practice he’s able to get during the week. At this point, I don’t think there’s anything that is stopping him from playing.”
Carter, this season’s Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a consensus All-American, currently projects as a top-10 NFL Draft pick. He leads the Nittany Lions with 11 sacks and 22 tackles for loss.
In Carter’s absence, defensive ends Dani Dennis-Sutton and Amin Vanover stepped up significantly against the Broncos. Dennis-Sutton collected a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss while Vanover tallied a sack and two tackles for loss.
Regardless of the talent in Penn State’s defensive end room, Carter’s production cannot be replaced, especially when facing a Fighting Irish offensive line that is among the nation’s best.
“His mentality is great. Got a big smile on his face. I think he’s excited about this week, but it’s too early to say at this stage,” Franklin said. “And as you guys know, I don’t usually talk about these things a whole lot. I get where we’re at, this is an important piece and storyline, but Abdul is going about things the right way and we’ll see how this thing plays out.”
