Back in the Fiesta Bowl, Penn State suffered a big scare when Abdul Carter went down. It was during a third down in the second quarter against Boise State that he suffered an injury to his left shoulder. Fast forward to tonight; he looks like he’s hyped to play the game against Notre Dame. There’s just one concern spreading across the Nittany Lions fans. 

CFB analyst Barrett Sallee voiced a general concern over Penn State’s star defensive end. In an X post on January 9, he tweeted, “Abdul Carter is out there with a big wrap in his arm.” Yes, Abdul Carter had his left arm in a protective sleeve and his left shoulder wrapped. The Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year is entering the CFP semifinals as a game-time decision. 

Ahead of the Orange Bowl, HC James Franklin shared his optimism for Abdul Carter with the media saying, “He’s doing everything he possibly can to play. His approach has been awesome. He’s lived in the training room. But it’ll be a game-time decision and we’ll see.” Carter looks fit and fine aside from that cast. But is he really healthy enough to take on the game inside Hard Rock Stadium while recovering? 

The presence of this 6’3, 252-pounder is highly anticipated because of two main reasons. As Franklin said, “He wants to play. He’s put a ton of cryptic messages in social media… We are hopeful and expecting Abdul to play.” The other reason is he’s a game-changer. He led the Lions with 63 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss, and 11.0 sacks. In his performance in the first round of the CFP playoff against SMU, he registered two tackles for loss and one sack.

Even for the Orange Bowl, he went all out. He had ‘Darth Vader’ painted under his eyes, coming off an injury! That’s right, Carter channeled his inner Sith Lord to intimidate Notre Dame and anyone who dared to stand in his way. Well, you can’t really deny this guy his right to shine. But Thursday night is especially memorable for Abdul Carter.

Abdul Carter basks in the company of Penn State legends 

Abdul Carter’s No. 11 is more than just a number. From 2018-2020, Dallas Cowboys LB Micah Parsons wore that same number and went on to become a first round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. But before him was another Penn State legend, LaVar Arrington from 1997-99, who became the second overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. Now, the significance of this is that both these Penn State alums were in attendance for the Orange Bowl. 

SportsCenter posted a photo of the three No. 11 Penn State players side by side with the caption, “From two Penn State No. 11 legends to one on his way. Abdul Carter made sure to see LaVar Arrington and Micah Parsons prior to kick off at the Capital One Orange Bowl.” Carter is already on the rise to become a force in the NFL as one of the top 2025 prospects. This encounter with the legends will only fuel his motivation to be like them, or even better. 

The first step to that will be winning a national championship. If they win this game against Notre Dame, they’ll advance to the ultimate showdown against the winner of the Cotton Bowl between Texas and Ohio State.