Peter Woods and T.J. Parker have made it official. Both Clemson standout defenders are turning to Tiger Town in 2025.
For a defense that was maligned throughout the 2024 season, the return of its two best players along the front seven is a windfall that cannot be understated as the Tigers look to regroup and improve on a disappointing year on the defensive side of the ball.
Peter Woods was moved outside to defensive end to begin the 2024 campaign, but was eventually moved back to defensive tackle, his natural position. Woods finished the year with 18 tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble, but his production was limited for a bit due to a nagging injury. Now healthy, he should be an immediate force once again up front.
Parker, meanwhile, was a wrecking ball. T.J. finished with 34 solo tackles, 11 sacks, and six forced fumbles, and single-handedly kept SMU at bay during the first half of the ACC championship game as Clemson won a thriller and punched their ticket to the College Football Play-offs.
While it has not been officially announced by the university, it is expected that head coach Dabo Swinney is going to move on from defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin. But regardless of who the defensive coordinator is in 2025, the return of Peter Woods and T.J. Parker gives him two studs and future high NFL draft picks with which to build the line around. It is a good start and welcome news to begin the year, and cause for optimism that defensive production will improve when the new season starts in late August.
In today’s age of college football, with the prevalence of NIL and the transfer portal, retaining top talent is the biggest priority. Clemson’s 110 Society has seen to it that Peter Woods’ and T.J. Parkers’ returns will put the Clemson Tigers in a better position to keep opponents off the scoreboard, and with only minimal losses to the portal, Coach Swinney has fared far better than most at player retention.
There is a lot to look forward to from Clemson football in 2025.
