Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter has been selected as a finalist for the Lombardi Award, it was announced Monday. Carter is one of four finalists for the award, which was established in 1970 and is presented to an outstanding offensive or defensive lineman who epitomizes the values of leadership, courage, performance and discipline. “When you watch the tape, the guy is impactful,” Nittany Lions coach James Franklin said. “Whether it’s sacks, whether it’s tackles for loss, whether it’s holding calls, it is obvious they (opposing offenses) have a specific plan in how they try to limit his impact. “He is impacting the game in a number of ways, which creates opportunities for other guys on our defensive line and without our defense and causes a lot of headaches.” The 6-3, 252-pound Carter ranks second nationally with 17.5 tackles for loss and is 12th with eight sacks. He leads the Big Ten in tackles for loss and is tied for third in sacks. He also had 45 tackles, five quarterback hurries, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles. A junior from La Salle College High School in Philadelphia, Carter is the first finalist from Penn State since Carl Nassib won the award in 2015. The other finalists are Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell and South Carolina defensive end Kyle Kennard. The winner will be announced Dec. 11 at a dinner in Houston. Singleton’s growth: Penn State running back Nick Singleton received a few compliments from quarterback Drew Allar on Wednesday. Singleton, who starred at Gov. Mifflin High School, leads the Lions and ranks fourth in the Big Ten in all-purpose yards with 115.6 per game. He has carried 95 times for 583 yards (6.1 average) and four touchdowns, caught 24 passes for 238 yards and four TDs and returned 11 kickoffs for 219 yards. “He was good in our pass game when he first got here and even last year,” Allar said, “but he and Kaytron have taken their receiving game to a different level. I always see them on the JUGS (machine) on Sunday during special team periods.” Singleton also has been a strong leader, according to Allar. “Obviously Nick’s not the most vocal guy,” he said, “but I think you can see the passion that he has and the passion that he plays with. That’s a form of leadership. He holds guys accountable, especially in the running back room. “I think he’s a really good guy for the young running backs to look up to. He and Kaytron are very good role models in that room.” Williams on guard: Penn State redshirt freshman J’ven Williams, the highest-rated member of the Lions’ 2023 recruiting class, saw significant time at left guard last Saturday at Purdue. The 6-5, 310-pound Williams played mostly guard at Wyomissing High School but was recruited as a tackle. He played in three games last season and was redshirted. This year, he’s playing guard and tackle to increase his value to the Lions. “He’s just trying to do anything he can to help us as an offensive line and himself as a player,” right tackle Anthony Donkoh said. “He really has embraced the role of being a guard and a tackle. He’s trying to absorb everything. “He played pretty well Saturday (in a 49-10 win at Purdue). I just hope he will continue to build off that for the rest of the season.”