TJ Parker, Tyler Brown, Peter Woods make ESPN's Top 25 true freshmen |
ESPN+ ranked the Top 25 true freshmen through five-plus weeks of college football, and Clemson
had the most reps of anybody ($).
With TJ Parker and Peter Woods on defense and Tyler Brown on offense, the three Tigers on the list out-paced all of college football, with only Southern Cal (2) and Alabama (2) also having multiple picks. While not starters, Parker and Woods have been plugged in to make early impacts for the Tiger defense. Parker checked in at No. 18 and Woods ranked No. 23. "While teammate Peter Woods received more recruiting attention in 2023, Parker has had the better start to the season, having posted 16 tackles and three sacks," said ESPN's Tom Luginbill. "He started the opener at defensive end for the Tigers and has shown to be really explosive off the edge in addition to being a stout run defender for such a young player." "While Woods hasn't been a statistical phenom, his presence has been felt in Clemson's very deep front four thanks to his positional versatility and disruptive presence. Woods spells multiple upperclassmen along the line as he can play all four spots. He has posted five tackles through five games." Brown is one spot ahead of Woods at No. 22. "Brown's emergence has been just what the Tigers needed on offense as he is one of the few players who can separate as a route runner for quarterback Cade Klubnik," Luginbill said. "The local product, a former three-star player, displays great quickness and burst. He has a team-high 21 catches and two touchdowns through the first five games." In ESPN's 2023 recruiting class rankings, Woods was ranked No. 4 overall as the top defender and Parker was ranked No. 87 overall as the No. 10 defensive end, while Brown was a 3-star prospect and the No. 176-ranked receiver.
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