Abdul Carter Declares for 2025 NFL Draft After PSU's Orange Bowl Loss to Notre Dame
Hours after Penn State's 27-24 loss to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinal, star pass-rusher Abdul Carter declared for the 2025 NFL draft.
Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Carter has hired Drew Rosenhaus, Robert Bailey and Jason Rosenhaus to represent him as he prepares to turn pro.
"I expect Abdul will be one of the top picks of this draft and a future All-Pro," Drew Rosenhaus told Schefter.
Carter posted an official announcement on his social media Saturday:
Despite the disappointing end to the season, Carter closed his Penn State tenure on a high note. He had five total tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack against Notre Dame.
Carter put together that performance after being questionable to play going into the game due to a shoulder injury suffered in the Fiesta Bowl win over Boise State.
The 21-year-old Carter is coming off an incredible 2024 season. He was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a unanimous All-American, finishing the season with 24 tackles for loss and 12 sacks in 16 games.
No other player in FBS has more than 21 tackles for loss. Carter's 12 sacks are the sixth-most among all FBS players.
Carter has drawn favorable comparisons to former Penn State standout Micah Parsons. Both players wore the No. 11 and split time between off-ball linebacker and edge-rusher during their college careers, but the comparisons go well beyond those two details.
B/R's NFL Scouting Department praised Carter for his elite athleticism and impressive get-off that allows him to get in the backfield in the blink of an eye, but there are areas of his game that remain a work-in progress:
"This season, Penn State has often taken Carter off the field in run situations. While this can come with more time and experience on the edge, his block recognition isn't there yet, which is most noticeable against pullers. He'll often get caught staring in the backfield instead of keeping his eyes down the line of scrimmage when he's unblocked."
Carter is ranked as the No. 1 EDGE player and 10th-best player overall in the 2025 draft class. It wouldn't be a surprise if he moves up the list throughout the pre-draft process based on his tape from this season and his potential to be an impact pass-rusher very quickly in the NFL.