Abdul Carter gives Penn State fans the injury update they wanted to hear ahead of CFP semifinals

The Penn State Nittany Lions have gotten hot at the right time, ever since their near comeback attempt against the Oregon Ducks in the Big Ten Championship Game. Now, they are now two wins away from becoming College Football Playoff national champions.

On New Year's Eve, Penn State defeated the Boise State Broncos 31-14 in the Fiesta Bowl, and will now await the winner of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Georgia Bulldogs Sugar Bowl. While the Nittany Lions were feeling great, they did witness an injury scare to their star player on defense, edge rusher Abdul Carter.

Carter left the game in the first quarter with a left arm injury, which forced him out for the remainder of the game. With that, Penn State fans are waiting to see if he will be ready to go for their CFP semifinals matchup.

Abdul Carter provides injury update for Penn State fans with Star Wars reference

On Thursday morning, Carter posted an image of Star Wars character Darth Vader recovering inside of a Bacta tank. Specifically, it's from the film "Rogue One," and if you remember how the end of it goes, Darth Vader goes on a rampage against the Rebel command ship.

Those Penn State fans who happened to follow every Star Wars film had to be giddy seeing this post from the star defender. It seems like good news heading into the Orange Bowl on Thursday, Jan. 9.

Carter's play this year has not only helped with Penn State's success, but he has raised his stock into a legitimate Top 10 prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft. Through 15 games, Carter recorded 63 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss (most in Big Ten) and 11 sacks (most in Big Ten). For any team, especially those selecting early in the first round in need of a pass rusher, Carter would be the top target.

We'll see how Carter responds in the days leading up to the Orange Bowl, but he looks like he'll give it a go based on his social media post.