Penn State’s Abdul Carter and KJ Winston are on the preseason watch list for the Bednarik Award, which the Maxwell Football Club gives to the nation’s top defensive football player. The preseason nomination is the fourth for Carter, who was also on the watch lists for the Nagurski Trophy and the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award. The watch list is the first for Winston.
Carter, a first-team All-Big Ten linebacker last season, will play two positions for the Nittany Lions this season. The junior will primarily play defensive linebacker, but will also switch back to the linebacker position he played for two seasons. Carter also represented Penn State on the Walter Camp Preseason All-America Team.
“He’s going to play both. We have the flexibility to let him play both positions,” Franklin said. “He’s one of those unique athletes who played linebacker at 250 pounds. You never know how that transition is going to go when you’re playing linebacker in open space versus going to the line of scrimmage and having to go up against the offensive tackles. He’s made the adjustment pretty quickly.”
Winston earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors last season in his first season as a safety. The junior led Penn State with 60 tackles (35 solo) and 2.5 losses. He also recovered two fumbles, intercepted five passes and recorded one interception.
Carter and Winston, both part of Penn State’s 2022 recruiting class, are already making waves ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft. Winston is considered one of the best safeties in the nation according to scouting service All Access Football. In fact, Winston is rated as the No. 2 safety in the 2025 NFL Draft only behind Malaki Starks from Georgia.
Serritella, meanwhile, ranks Carter among the five best edge rushers of the draft class and points to the recent development of pass rushers at Penn State.
“Happy Valley has been an NFL factory for pass rushers lately. Abdul Carter is next to follow in the footsteps of Chop Robinson, Micah Parsons, Odafe Oweh and others.” Serritella writes. “Carter doesn’t have ideal length, so he could be converted to an outside linebacker at the next level. However, his pass-rushing ability makes him a serious first-round candidate.”
Eleven Penn State players were named to the college football preseason watch lists:
Penn State opens the 2024 season on August 31 at West Virginia. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET on FOX.
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Penn State on SI is the go-to source for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Editor Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, following three coaching teams, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on X (or Twitter) @MarkWogenrich.
