NITTANY NATION

Nittany Lions lose a lineman, tight end

Frank Bodani

fbodani@ydr.com

Penn State has lost a promising defensive tackle candidate — the second player to be dismissed from the team since the end of spring practice.

Penn State tight end Brent Wilkerson (pictured here before the TaxSlayer Bowl) and defensive tackle Kam Carter have been dismissed from the team recently for unrelated off-field issues.

Redshirt freshman Kam Carter was notified on April 21 that he was being cut from the team "for a violation of team rules," according to a statement released by Penn State. "We appreciate Kam's contributions to the program and wish him success in the future."

The former four-star recruit from Gaithersburg, Md. came to Penn State as a defensive end but had packed on considerable weight in the offseason to move inside to tackle and was expected to fight for backup minutes in the fall. The 6-foot-4, 305-pound prospect did not play in this year’s Blue-White game.

Only six defensive tackles remain on the Nittany Lions' roster: juniors Parker Cothren and Curtis Cothran, sophomore Antoine White and freshmen Kevin Givens, Robert Windsor and Ryan Monk.

Tight end Brent Wilkerson also was dismissed from the team recently in light of assault charges being levied against him. Wilkerson originally had been suspended from team activities after being charged in March with a misdemeanor count of indecent assault and summary harassment.