After years of being stuck behind the Michigan-Ohio State diarchy in the Big Ten, Penn State is one of the biggest beneficiaries of all of the changes to college football. No more divisions in the Big Ten means they won’t be forced to play the same two juggernauts every year, and a 12-team playoff means that their serial “good-not-great” 10-2 seasons would be enough for a seat at a table.
More spotlight is also a big deal for the program’s players on an individual level, as each could be in line for more attention as they make a push for the NFL. With higher stakes in more games for the Nittany Lions, we’ll get a serious look at how their top players perform under pressure.
Here are the top three Penn State prospects to watch ahead of the NFL Draft, which begins on April 24, 2025:
Abdul Carter | Edge-rusher
ESPN’s Matt Miller on Carter: “A game-changing performer”
Prospect ranking:
Pro Football Focus (No. 18), Tankathon (No. 18), Pro Football Network (No. 8)
Carter wasn’t particularly prolific in 2023, but now that he won’t be forced to share time with a talent quite like Chop Robinson, a 2024 first-round pick of the Miami Dolphins, he could be in for a very big season. With that being said, the presence of Robinson forced Carter to spend a good amount of time playing off-ball, developing versatility that could be valuable at the next level.
Even though the experience of playing in different spots could be helpful in the long run, moving to a full-time role in his natural role on the line of scrimmage could be the catalyst for a very productive campaign. He should receive plenty of credit for being the centerpiece of what looks like it will be a fantastic Penn State defense, and could be an immediate contributor to any NFL defense. At 6-foot-3 and 258 pounds, Carter does lack the bulk of most NFL players at the position, but could fill out a bit more, and brings plenty of quickness to the table, which allowed him to play off-ball last year.
This won’t be the case for every player on this list, but every evaluator is high on Carter’s ability to perform at the next level. It’s a solid class of edge-rushers, but Carter looks to be one of the top three to five players at the position, which will almost always mean a first-round selection.
