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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…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/abdul-carter-wasnt-always-a-sure-thing-but-one-camp-turned-him-into-a-penn-state-take-and-a-future-star/
Author : Brian Dohn
Publish date : 2025-04-22 19:53:00
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