Abdul Carter wasn't always a sure thing, but one camp turned him into a Penn State 'take' and a future star
The fit seemed perfect, natural, even a foregone conclusion. An in-state prospect, and a linebacker at that.
If Penn State had a wheelhouse, Abdul Carter seemed to be in it, just like Micah Parsons was a few years earlier, and the Nittany Lions used that comparison in recruiting Carter.
What was happening behind the scenes though were discussions about whether Penn State really wanted Carter — and how badly.
The linebacker-turned-edge rusher is an expected top five pick in Thursday's first round of the 2025 NFL Draft (Carter is a heavy -750 favorite to go No. 3 overall, according to FanDuel Sportsbook), but it took a stellar workout a few months before his senior season at Wyndmoor (Pa.) La Salle for him to land at Penn State.
Before he could commit, Penn State asked Carter to prove his value. And, in what speaks well about Carter's desire to compete and perform, he was more than willing to do so.
It was June 6, 2021. It was the day before Carter was heading to South Carolina for an official visit, and he went to Penn State for a make-or-break camp.
Ohio State, LSU and Ole Miss wanted him to come by and work out as well but Penn State was closer. The Wyndmoor (Pa.) La Salle prospect lived three hours from campus, and the coaches were selling him on being their next Parsons.
Those few hours changed Carter's path, as well as the one Penn State took. He vaulted to the top of their recruiting board thanks to his testing numbers.
"It's elite elite," one source in Penn State's program said of Carter's testing numbers.
He measured in at 6-foot-3 1/2, 231 pounds (he now weighs 250) with a nearly 33-inch reach and 10-inch hands.
He ran the 40-yard dash twice — 4.50 and 4.54 seconds — and did the short shuttle in 4.4 seconds. He broad-jumped 10 feet, four inches. Penn State also tests a triple broad jump, which tests explosion and body control. Carter's 31 feet, 11 inches was, again, elite.
Until that camp performance, there were questions whether Penn State would take Carter's commitment, if he offered it. After the camp, there was no question about it.
"He worked at the linebacker position, and he was really good there," said Nittany Lions assistant coach Terry Smith, who was one of Carter's key recruiters. "Then for the first time we moved him down to d-end, and we saw that day what the world saw this past season. And it was easy.
"It was a no-brainer. It was like, 'You gotta have that guy.' And he trusted us. He trusted our process."
The Nittany Lions moved quickly to set up an official visit later that month. By the end of July, Carter went from being an uncertain take to being committed.
It is strange, especially given how recruiting evolved. Carter achieved four-star status during his junior season. In today's climate, many four-star prospects would scoff at the notion of having to prove themselves at a camp so late into the process to be a take for a school.
Carter never flinched when asked, but it was also part of a different time.
Much of the NCAA world was coming out of covid and visits were shut down for more than a year. That meant Carter could not camp in the spring and summer of his sophomore year leading into his junior year. Once his junior year began, he was playing games in front of no fans in Pennsylvania as restrictions continued.
Also, schools were not allowed to go on the road recruiting, so no schools saw Carter live his junior season. And that junior season, as Carter grew into his linebacker position, his tape was not nearly as explosive and impressive as the testing numbers, or what would show on his senior film.
College coaches were not allowed out in the spring of 2020 or 2021 to evaluate prospects, which added to Penn State's uncertainty, due to a lack of verified information about Carter.
Where Penn State won was in getting Carter on campus to work out during the first weekend after the covid shutdown ended. Others pushed to get him to campus, but Penn State got him there.
Once he visited and worked out, all the recruiting talk from Penn State's coaches about becoming the program's next Micah Parsons became real, and the push to land his commitment became a priority.
Carter finished his Penn State career with 172 tackles, including 39 1/2 for loss and 23 sacks. He was the face of the defense the last two years, and his shoulder injury in the College Football Playoff run impacted Penn State — though Carter earned major kudos for toughing through that impediment in a heroic Orange Bowl showing.
Given what transpired after that early June 2021 day, it is easy to overlook how differently it could have turned out had he not decided to showcase his skill that day.
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