Penn State DE Abdul Carter Named Semifinalist for Pair of National Awards

Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter has made the cut for two national awards. Carter has been named a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award and Lott Impact Trophy. Both awards annually recognize the top defensive player in college football.

These most recent honors come just days after Carter was named one of 12 semifinalists for the Lombardi Award, which recognizes the nation’s top lineman on either side of the ball.

Carter was also named the defensive player of the week by both the Bednarik Award and Walter Camp Football Foundation after tallying two sacks, four tackles for loss and a forced fumble in the Nittany Lions’ 35-6 win over Washington on Saturday.

It took Carter three games to find his first sack of the year, but he’s been on a tear ever since. He currently leads the Big Ten with 15.5 tackles for loss and ranks second in the conference with eight sacks.

Carter’s dominant 2024 season has put him in firm contention to be a top-10 NFL Draft pick this upcoming spring. As of Monday, he has been projected as high as the No. 3 overall pick by multiple outlets.

“He’s a disruptive football player. He was that way when he played linebacker. He’s a disruptive football player for us at defensive end,” James Franklin on Saturday. “I still think there’s been an evolution for him there in terms of playing a run on a consistent basis, rushing the passer on a consistent basis, getting really good with his get off. He’s just getting better. And to me, that’s the exciting thing about Abdul. He’s got a ton of football left ahead of him.”