Peter Woods was going to make an impact during his first at Clemson. The freshman defensive tackle did more than make an impact, however. Woods was simply dominant.
In recognition of his effort and production on the field, Woods received PFF’s highest grade among Power 5 freshman defensive tackles. If you watched the Tigers in 2023, it was apparent what a disruptive force Peter was. The 5-star recruit out of Alabaster, Alabama was a consensus top-five prospect in the 2023 class and a projected day one guy at Clemson.
He was all of that and more. While his individual statistics are not eye-popping at first glance, his sheer disruption along the front four of the defense led opposing offenses to run away from him, which forced quarterbacks and ball carriers into the arms of his teammates. The fear of confronting Woods head on was a testament to his strength and skill.
Woods played in 12 of the Tigers’ 13 games and started two of them, but was among the team leaders in on-field reps. He recorded 26 tackles, with 13 of them being solo, and 2.5 tackles for loss. His PFF grade was 87.6.
Look for Woods to be even more dominant in 2024 as Clemson is once again projected to field one of the best defenses in the country.
