Penn State standout defensive end Abdul Carter, who considers himself “the best player in the country,” is dealing with a stress fracture in his right foot.
Carter, who could potentially be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, has two options: have preemptive surgery, which would involve having a screw put in his foot (roughly an eight-week recovery), or put off surgery, according to ESPN.
Carter’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said that he “couldn’t be more confident” that the stress fracture will be a “non-factor” in where the 21-year-old star lands in the draft. Furthermore, Carter doesn’t feel any pain and will refrain from having surgery, according to NFL Media.
This injury news comes on the heels of Carter suffering a shoulder injury late in the 2024 college football season. He’s not working out for teams at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis this week but expects to be ready for Penn State’s pro day on March 28.
Carter totaled 12.0 sacks, a Big Ten-high 24 tackles for loss, four passes defended and 68 combined tackles last season, helping him earn Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors. PSU reached the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Carter, an All-American, being selected in the top three is likely dependent on how desperate the Tennessee Titans (No. 1), Cleveland Browns (No. 2) and New York Giants (No. 3) are for a new quarterback, as all three teams have murky futures at the position. Colorado‘s Shedeur Sanders and Miami‘s Cam Ward, a Heisman finalist, could be the first two quarterbacks taken.
Carter is in competition with Colorado two-way superstar and 2024 Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter to be the first non-quarterback off the board.
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