Abdul Carter injury update: Latest update on Penn State DE for Orange Bowl showdown

The Penn State Nittany Lions are just two wins away from being the national champions, but there are injuries that could make things difficult. Ahead of their Orange Bowl showdown against Notre Dame, star edge rusher Abdul Carter had his left shoulder wrapped up heavily.

Carter suffered a shoulder injury in the Fiesta Bowl last week against the Boise State Broncos during the first quarter and did not return to the game.

However, Abdul Carter is expected to be available on a limited basis for tonight's College Football Playoff semifinal game at the Orange Bowl against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. We do not know the expected snap count or how often he will be on the field, but he does average 46 snaps per game entering this game.

Despite his shoulder injury, Carter has still been able to get pressure on Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard.

Entering the Orange Bowl, Carter has tallied 63 total tackles (40 solo, 23 assisted) with 11 sacks, 21.5 tackles for loss, eight quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, and three pass deflections en route to winning the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Award. It will be interesting to see how often Carter is able to be on the field during this game.

Abdul Carter NFL draft projection

Abdul Carter is a junior this season, meaning he is eligible for the 2025 NFL draft. While he has not publicly made a decision of whether he will remain with the Penn State Nittany Lions for his senior season or forego his NCAA eligibility and enter the NFL draft. However, if he does join the draft, it will not be too long until he hears his name.

Being listed at 6-foot-3, 259 pounds, Abdul Carter has shown the ability to wreck the game as he consistently will be the opposing offensive tackle or tight end. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, he is tied with a few players for the fifth-best odds to be the number-one overall selection in the 2025 NFL draft.

Carter certainly has the ability to dominate the game at the NFL level as well but expect him to be a top-five selection in the draft if he enters the draft class. What he does for the remainder of the College Football Playoff may shift the odds even more in his favor.