TJ Parker announced his presence on the college football scene with authority last season.
The Tigers’ super freshman was among the best defensive players in the ACC in 2023, earning Freshman All-American honors as his role grew larger with each game. Parker spoke with the media following practice on Monday and talked about his expectations for the 2024 campaign, the Clemson defense as a unit, and what he can do to ensure the Tigers’ front seven remains among the best in college football.
“We’re a really good football team on both sides,” said Parker. “You see a lot of power on both sides of the ball, especially on defense. A lot of young guys are coming up, flying around, understanding what we have to do. You see a lot of guys during that transition from spring to fall camp feel more comfortable, more fluent.”
TJ Parker
Through the first two weeks of fall camp, one thing that has stood out to Parker is the amount of elite talent on the defensive side of the ball. The Tigers have been prognosticated to boast one of the best defenses in the nation, and TJ credits the unity between he and his teammates for that vote of confidence.
“We’re more together than we’ve ever been,” he stated. “We communicate a lot more, I’d say we play a lot harder, and we’re excited to see what we do on the field.”
TJ Parker
Clemson did suffer attrition to its defense with a number of talented players now in the NFL. Several of the leaders along the defensive line have moved on, but sophomores like Parker and Peter Woods are ready to lead the way now.
TJ Parker was asked where the strength of this defense lies, and his answer was there are no weak spots anywhere on that side of the ball and that he and Woods are ready to step up and take the reigns.
“(Talent) everywhere,” Parker said. “Even though we lost those great guys, we didn’t miss a beat. We’re not going to miss a beat this year. Those guys that left, left us a good foundation for what we have to do to keep going and hold up a high standard. We’re going to be real good this year.”
TJ Parker
On Woods, Parker added, “He’s a freak, man. It doesn’t matter where he plays at, he’s going to get it done. He moves super well. You couldn’t tell that he’s 319 (pounds) or whatever weight they said. He has that natural ability to move and change directions very quickly. It’s going to be scary for a lot of people.”
One thing Parker knows a lot about is making an impact as a freshman. In 2023, TJ recorded 32 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks in 13 games, including three starts. Impressive numbers for a first-year player. This season, the Tigers have another banner group of newcomers that have impressed Parker from the spring and into fall camp.
One, however, reminds TJ a bit of himself and that is freshman linebacker Sammy Brown. Like Parker, Brown has a chance for a special first season at Clemson.
“That class in general, they are all doing really good,” he said. “(Sammy Brown) is definitely smart. Obviously playing MIKE linebacker, you have to understand what everybody is doing. It’s night and day difference between spring and fall camp. He’s understanding the playbook much more. I’m just super proud of his progression.”
TJ Parker
The fact remains, Clemson has been cast down and counted out among the national media in respects to their ACC championship and College Football Play-off hopes. Those detractors have not gone unnoticed by Parker and the rest of the Clemson team. TJ says the team approaches each practice like it is the most important day of the season and is confident the Tigers can prove the doubters wrong, one game at a time.
“You know, we’re going to play to the best of our ability,” added Parker. “We’re going to get better every day. Obviously, we play Georgia first and that’s a big game. But we want to take it day by day and make sure that we’re the best team for us.”
TJ Parker
And the best version of TJ Parker and the rest of the Clemson defense will make for a lot of bad Saturdays for the Tigers’ opponents.
