INDIANAPOLIS — Abdul Carter certainly looks like a Big Ten defensive end.
The former first-team All-Big Ten linebacker made the move to edge rusher prior to spring drills, and Carter is listed at 6-foot-3, 249 pounds on the Penn State roster.
But new defensive coordinator Tom Allen is a fan of hybrid athletes who can affect the game in multiple ways. So is coach James Franklin.
Carter can do that.
Franklin now sees his defensive star as someone who can be a difficult matchup for opponents at both end and linebacker.
“I think first thing is, he’ll play both,” Franklin said Wednesday during Big Ten Media Days inside Lucas Oil Stadium.
“We have the flexibility to play him at both positions. He’s one of the unique athletes that was playing linebacker at 250 pounds.
“You never know how that transition is going to go, playing in space at the linebacker position compared to moving up to the line of scrimmage and having to go against the offensive tackles. He made the adjustment pretty quickly.”
Carter, an impact player for PSU as a freshman linebacker in 2022, collected 5 1/2 tackles for loss, 4 1/2 sacks, five quarterback hurries, five pass breakups, a forced fumble and an interception as a linebacker last fall.
He will see plenty of opportunities at defensive end in 2024 with the Lions replacing Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac. Carter and third-year junior Dani Dennis-Sutton are PSU’s two best options off the edge.
But Carter is not done playing linebacker in certain situations. Franklin said he met with Carter and his father after spring practice and discussed the possibility of the defender playing both positions. Father and son are on board, according to the coach.
“He brings a lot of versatility to the table,” Penn State safety Jaylen Reed said when asked about Carter lining up in different spots. “Abdul already has reps at linebacker, and then using his best ability to rush the passer, I feel like that’s Abdul’s best trait.
“Using (him) at D-end is going to bring a lot of explosiveness to the defensive side of things. We can use different packages and different formations to trick the offense.”
Said Franklin: “At the end of the day, you’re talking about one of the more explosive, physical athletes in all of college football. We think he has the ability to make a significant impact. Week to week, we’ll decide where he’ll have the most impact for us, whether it’s on the line of scrimmage at defensive end or in the linebacker position.
“This spring he stayed mainly at defensive end to get comfortable with that, and then after that we had a really good conversation, and he’s open to doing both.”
Franklin added: “That will also put us in a position where people can’t game plan and know exactly where (Carter is) going to be on the defense. We’re excited about that.”
