Abdul Carter is one of Penn State’s most important players. That made it all the more concerning when the star defender left the team’s Fiesta Bowl matchup against Boise State with an undisclosed injury.

After the game, not much information was given about Carter’s status and many wondered if the defender would play. However, Carter would go on to post an image of Darth Vader from Star Wars in a healing tank. This led some to believe that Carter would be healthy enough to play.


That’s indeed what happened as Carter suited up for the Nittany Lions to kick off the Orange Bowl against Notre Dame. Carter took the field with eye black that said “Darth Vader”, nodding to the references made earlier to the classic character.

Carter has been one of the best edge rushers in the country in 2024. The defender leads the Nittany Lions in sacks with 11 and has 63 tackles, 3 pass deflections, and 2 forced fumbles.

To begin the Playoff, Carter racked up 3 tackles and 1 sack against SMU. Against Boise State in the quarterfinal, the DE didn’t record a statistic before being knocked out with an injury. Now, Carter’s team is 1 win away from competing in the national championship for the first time in the College Football Playoff era.

The Nittany Lions are playing against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in Miami. The winner will play the winner of the Ohio State-Texas Cotton Bowl matchup.