Abdul Carter Predicts Monster Year for Himself in 2024

After playing linebacker for two seasons at Penn State, earning freshman All-American honors in 2022 and first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2024, Abdul Carter made the move to defensive end this offseason to best use his elite athletic ability to rush the quarterback.

Penn State Football, Abdul Carter — Penn State linebacker Abdul Carter (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire)

After the position change, Carter isn’t shying away from setting expectations extremely high at his new position.

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How many sacks does Abdul Carter predict he will rack up in 2024?

Carter took to Instagram to answer questions Wednesday night, one of which set a lofty individual goal ahead of the 2024 season.

In answering the question “How many sacks [will you rack] up this year?,” Carter replied “15.”

15 sacks would be the most from a Nittany Lion since Carl Nassib recorded 15.5 sacks in 2015.

To put this in perspective, Carter led the Nittany Lions in sacks in 2022 with 6.5 and the 15-sack goal would be double the amount of 2023 Nittany Lions’ sack leader Adisa Isaac (7.5). A Nittany Lion has not even reached double-digit sacks since Nassib’s 15.5 in 2015.

If Carter can reach the 15-sack mark in 2024, it would put the junior defensive end in elite company, as only three Nittany Lions have ever achieved that feat (Carl Nassib 15.5 (2015), Larry Kubin 15 (1979), Michael Haynes 15 (2002)).

Although the 2025 NFL draft is still almost a year away, Carter already projects as a first-round pick in next year’s draft, ranking 18^th on PFF’s 2025 Big Board.

In discussing Carter and his position change to defensive end, PFF’s Max Chadwick stated that “this is a projection since he’s moving positions” noting that the ranking of 18^th overall could be “laughably low by season’s end.”

Whether Abdul Carter reaches his lofty goal of 15 sacks in 2024 or not, Carter is primed to be one of the Nittany Lions’ top playmakers next season as the Nittany Lions attempt to make their first college football playoff appearance.