Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter was selected Tuesday as a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award, presented to the nation’s top defensive player by the Maxwell Football Club.
He also was named the Bednarik Award Player of the Week and the Walter Camp Football Foundation National Defensive Player of the Week. He had two sacks, four tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry last week in the Nittany Lions’ 35-6 victory over Washington.
Carter leads the Big Ten and ranks third in the FBS with 15.5 tackles for loss and is second in the Big Ten and 11th nationally with eight sacks.
A junior from La Salle College High School in Philadelphia, he’s also a semifinalist for the Lombardi Award, presented to the nation’s outstanding offensive or defensive lineman, and the Lott IMPACT Trophy, presented to the nation’s best defensive player.
This is Carter’s first season at defensive end after spending his first two seasons with the Nittany Lions at linebacker.
“I’m still learning,” he said after the win over Washington. “I’m still getting better. I’m still growing. It’s going pretty good for me so far, but you still haven’t seen the best of me yet.”
Carter is one of 20 semifinalists for the Bednarik Award. Voting in this round began Tuesday and will close Nov. 23. Three finalists will be announced Nov. 26. The winner will be announced Dec. 12 during ESPN’s College Football Awards Show.
The other eight semifinalists for the Lott IMPACT Trophy are Clemson linebacker Barrett Carter, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham, Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins, Colorado cornerback Travis Hunter, Indiana defensive lineman Mikali Kamara, Texas A&M defensive end Nic Scourton and Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts.
The finalists will be announced Nov. 21. A national voter poll will select the winner, which will be announced Dec. 9 in Las Vegas in conjunction with the National Football Foundation awards.
Allar recognized: Penn State’s Drew Allar was one of 16 quarterbacks to be named Tuesday as semifinalists for the Davey O’Brien Award.
Allar has completed 70.3% of his passes for 2,006 yards and 13 touchdowns with five interceptions. He’s ranked eighth in the nation in pass efficiency.
The three finalists will be announced Nov. 26. The winner will be announced Dec. 12 on ESPN’s College Football Awards Show.
Freshmen impress: Penn State running back Corey Smith and wide receiver Tyseer Denmark are among the freshmen who are expected to see increased action in the final three regular season games.
The 5-10, 189-pound Smith, a three-star prospect from Milwaukee, made his debut last week against Washington and carried five times for 95 yards, including a 78-yard burst.
“Corey is probably one of the fastest developing guys I’ve seen since I’ve been here,” quarterback Beau Pribula said. “He has a lot of raw talent, but he wasn’t ready to play when he got here. Ever since the season started, he’s one of those guys who just gets better every single week.
“He’s come a long way since he first got here.”
The 5-10, 187-pound Denmark, a three-star prospect from Imhotep Charter in Philadelphia, made a splash during preseason camp. He made one catch for 13 yards against Kent State in his only appearance.
“Tyseer is extremely talented,” wide receiver Liam Clifford said. “For a young guy, he’s super polished in terms of his route running. He’s super shifty. He has a gift. He catches the ball well. I’m excited to see what he’s going to be able to do and how he can help us.”
Fleming ends drought: Wide receiver Julian Fleming scored his first touchdown in two years when he caught an 8-yard pass from Drew Allar last week against Washington.
Fleming hadn’t reached the end zone since he was playing for Ohio State and had a TD catch against Iowa in the seventh game of the 2022 season.
He transferred to Penn State in January and has 13 receptions for 171 yards.
“I think it meant a ton for Julian,” Clifford said. “I wouldn’t say frustrated is the right word, but he wanted to score. He knows what he’s capable of. Seeing him finally get that opportunity on a play we’ve repped since spring ball was exciting.
“Julian is a guy who deserves it all. He puts in the work every day. He’s always doing extra.”
