Abdul Carter injury update: Penn State DE's status vs. Notre Dame

What we know as Penn State hopes to get star edge rusher Abdul Carter on the field against Notre Dame after suffering a minor injury last time out.

Where things stand with Penn State star edge rusher Abdul Carter after he sustained an injury last time out. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Abdul Carter exited Penn State’s quarterfinal victory and didn’t return to action after suffering a left arm/shoulder injury, raising questions around whether Penn State’s star defensive end would be ready to go this week.

As the Nittany Lions prepare to face Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl semifinal, head coach James Franklin seemed to imply asking whether Carter would play was the wrong question.

“It’s going to come down to how he feels and how much practice he’s able to get during the week,” Franklin told reporters.

“At this point, I don’t think there’s anything stopping him from playing, but it’s going to come down to, how is he able to play?

“We’ll see. But his mentality is great. He’s excited about this week. But it’s too early to say at this stage.”

Franklin isn’t one to divulge too much injury information ahead of games, but his comments did seem to indicate that there’s nothing keeping Carter from playing in Thursday’s playoff game.

The more pertinent question might be, how effective will Carter be after the injury, and that’s something that no one is in a position to answer leading into the matchup.

Carter’s presence on the defensive front has been a vital advantage for Penn State as it fielded one of the most dominant lines and run defenses in college football this season.

And that unit will be put to the test against a confident Notre Dame offense led by a rushing attack that ranks 11th with 218 yards per game and fourth with 42 touchdowns on the ground.

That backfield includes quarterback Riley Leonard, who has 831 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns while averaging more than 5 yards per carry.

But he commands a passing offense that ranks just 108th among 134 FBS teams with less than 189 yards per game, as Leonard averages just 4 yards per attempt when under pressure.

Carter’s absence led to Penn State having less success when applying pressure to Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen in the quarterfinal round.

A projected Top 10 selection in the upcoming NFL Draft, Carter has been the Nittany Lions’ most dominant and impactful player on the defensive side of the ball.

He recorded 22 tackles for loss and added 11 sacks after transitioning to defensive end from the linebacker position.

In the event that Carter isn’t able to play at 100 percent, Penn State still has other quality options off the edge in Dani Dennis-Sutton and Amin Vanover.

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