Penn State DE Abdul Carter Named Finalist For Lombardi Award

Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter is up for one of the most prestigious awards in college football. On Wednesday, Carter was named one of four finalists for the Lombardi Award, presented annually to the nation’s top lineman.

Carter is the first Nittany Lion since Carl Nassib in 2015 to be named a finalist for the award.

Carter currently leads the Big Ten and ranks second nationally with 18 tackles for loss. His eight sacks are a team-high. 

He is the lone Big Ten player on the short list, a group that includes Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr., LSU’s Will Campbell and South Carolina’s Kyle Kennard.

Carter has also been named a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award for the nation’s top defensive player, the Lott IMPACT Trophy and the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award.

“When you watch the tape, the guy is impactful, whether it’s sacks, whether it’s tackles for loss, whether it’s holding calls, whether it is obvious that they have a specific plan in how they’re trying to limit his impact,” James Franklin said Monday. “… He is impacting the game and in a number of ways, which creates opportunities for other guys on our defensive line and within our defense, and causes a lot of headaches.”