Abdul Carter

Heading into the 2024 season, Abdul Carter was already one of the most talked about defensive players in the country. Earning All-Big Ten and All-America honors after racking up 5.5 tackles for a loss and 4.5 sacks in 2023 will do that. So will his second-team all-league honors as a freshman. But the intrigue continues to build. Carter, a linebacker-turned-defensive end, will play both positions on a week-to-week basis for James Franklin – a nod to what likely will happen to Carter when he's in the NFL. "You never know how that transition is going to go, playing in space at the linebacker position compared to moving up to the line of scrimmage and having to go against offensive tackles," Franklin said. "He made the adjustment pretty quickly. At the end of the day, you’re talking about one of the more explosive, visible athletes in all of college football. So, we think he’s got a chance to make a significant impact. He’s just really grown up. I’m proud of him and his development academically as a student-athlete as well as a football player."