Penn State Nittany Lions defensive star Abdul Carter was injured during the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, leaving a question mark over his name ahead of the Orange Bowl matchup with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
On Monday, he posted on social media, suggesting he may return for the most pivotal game in recent program history.
Cryptic Social Media Post By Penn State’s Abdul Carter Hints At Return in Orange Bowl
As Penn State prepares for their matchup against the Fighting Irish in the Orange Bowl, questions on the availability of arguably their best player have dominated previews of the game.
Defensive end Carter, a projected top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, has made a huge difference when he’s been on the field for the Nittany Lions in 2024-25. Carter has totaled 40 solo tackles this year, but he makes his biggest impact rushing the passer.
His 11 sacks are tied for seventh in the country while forcing two fumbles in the process. The attention he garners from opposing offenses heavily contributes to Penn State ranking 27th in the nation with 2.6 sacks per game.
However, Carter suffered an unspecified upper-body injury in the Nittany Lions 31-14 victory over the Boise State Broncos in the Fiesta Bowl.
Head coach James Franklin was asked this weekend about Carter’s availability heading into Thursday’s matchup.
“At this point, I don’t think there’s anything that is stopping him from playing,” he said. “But it’s just going to come down to how is he able to play? And we’ll see, but his mentality is great. He’s got a big smile on his face. He’s excited about this week. But it’s too early to say at this stage.”
The bit of uncertainty communicated by Franklin may be wiped away by what Carter posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday evening.
Revenge of the ST1X
st1xc1ty returns in… pic.twitter.com/nK0nzF3cZz
— Abdul Carter (@1NCRDB1) January 7, 2025
He wrote “Revenge of the ST1X,” followed by “st1xc1ty returns in…”
If that’s not a public declaration of his ability to play, Carter just provided false hope for many Nittany Lion fans.
Expect him to be out there come Thursday night. Whether he’s the Carter we know or a shell of himself, the sheer gravity of his presence will be positive for the Nittany Lions defense.
If he’s back at full strength, the Notre Dame offense will need to account for him first and then hope they can slow down the first-team All-Big Ten selection.
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