Penn State's Abdul Carter: 'You Still Haven't Seen the Best of Me Yet'

The Nittany Lions defensive end exploded for another dominant game against the Washington Huskies.

Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Abdul Carter (11) reacts after making a tackle against UCLA. / Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

SATE COLLEGE | Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter is heating up in November and at just the right time for the Nittany Lions. Carter again was dominant Saturday, tallying his second straight multi-sack game in the Nittany Lions’ 35-6 victory over Washington.  

Carter, who converted from linebacker to defensive end this offseason, was the best player at Beaver Stadium, finishing with six tackles, four for losses, two sacks and a forced fumble. Through nine games Carter has a career-high eight sacks and leads the Big Ten, and ranks third nationally, with 15.5 tackles for loss. The Big Ten’s most dynamic pass-rusher said he continues to get better but still hasn’t hit his peak.  

“I’m still learning, I’m still getting better, I’m still growing,” Carter said. “It’s going pretty good for me so far, but you still haven’t seen the best of me yet.”

Carter was in the backfield often against the Huskies and could have done more damage, but Washington changed quarterbacks at halftime partly to address Carter’s surge. The Huskies' Demond Williams Jr. was able to scramble away from pressure during the second half. He wound up leading the Huskies with 38 net rushing yards on 10 carries, including a 43-yard run late in the game.. 

But Penn State linebacker Kobe King, who had one of the team’s five sacks Saturday, called Carter “a dominant force” in the defense.  

“Ever since he stepped on campus, he’s been dominant. He’s been showing it,” King said. “That’s my guy. Great player, great person. He’s dominant. They got a game plan for him, obviously, but his demeanor, his energy, it’s infectious on the field. We definitely feed off that, they feed off me, and he’s great for us.

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At 6-3, 260 pounds, Carter has the speed and agility to get around offensive tackles, making him a consensus first-round NFL Draft prospect. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Carter as the No. 3 player on his 2025 NFL Big Board. Kiper wrote that Carter’s experience at linebacker will help his draft grade but “his traits to wreak havoc” at defensive are more notable.

Carter, who signed an NIL deal with agent Drew Rosenhaus before the season, likely will become the seventh Penn State pass rusher to be drafted in the first three rounds since 2020. Adisa Isaac, whom the Baltimore Ravens selected in this year’s third round, was at Saturday’s White Out game. and has continued to mentor Carter since leaving Penn State.

“I got to chop it up with him,” Carter said. “I gave him a hug. … He gave me some coaching points. [Defensive line coach Deion Barnes] was showing me clips of Adisa doing the right things, and I just learned from him that way.” 

With 19 career sacks, Carter is  tied for 11th on Penn State’s all-time leaderboard with Bruce Clark, LaVar Arrington, Jay Alford and Yetur Gross-Matos. With three regular-season games and potential postseason games ahead, Carter could easily work his way into the program’s top five. 

“He’s a disruptive football player,” Penn State coach James Franklin said. “He was that way when he played linebacker. He’s disruptive when he plays defensive end. I still think there has been an evolution for him there, in terms of playing the run on a consistent basis, rushing the passer on a consistent basis, getting good at his get-off. He’s just getting better. To me, that’s the exciting thing. He’s got a lot of football ahead of him. He finds a ton of different ways to disrupt the game.”

The position change played a significant role in Carter’s production boost, as he’s now rushing the passer more often. But Carter also attributed his success to his mindset and learning his position in Penn State’s defense.

“I feel like, this year specifically, I learned how to really key in on my job and just playing my part and doing my role and allowing the plays to come to me instead of me trying to force the plays,” Carter said. 

That’s something teammates have noticed as well. “Man, he must be the best player on the field, best player in the world really,” King said. “Just from me knowing him, he’s a guy.”

Asked what that means for future opponents, Carter said, “I don’t know how they want to take it, but I’m still getting better.”

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Sam Woloson has covered Penn State Athletics for the past three years and is currently the managing editor of The Daily Collegian. His work has also appeared in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Huntingdon Daily News and Rivals. Follow him on X @sam_woloson