Clemson freshman edge ready to contribute immediately

Clemson freshman defensive lineman Peter Woods has received a ton of hype since arriving on campus and for good reason.

The No. 19 overall recruit in the 2023 On3 Industry rankings, Woods impressed all spring and was dominant at times in the spring game earlier this month.

Woods isn’t the only freshman on the Clemson defensive line ready to play right away, though.

Alabama native TJ Parker is another freshman on the Tigers defensive front who quickly proved that he can help the Tigers immediately this fall.

“He’s what we call a plug-and-play guy,” Clemson defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall said. “He’s come in Day 1 and you can put him in and he can play and he can execute. That’s what I wanted when we recruited him and that’s what we got.”

Parker offered Clemson fans a glimpse of what he’s capable of during the spring game earlier this month, finishing with 4 tackles and a sack in limited snaps.

Parker showcased his explosiveness coming off the edge, while also showing that he’s capable of overpowering offensive linemen with his strength.

The former Central High star is already 6-foot-4, 255 pounds and will only get better as he spends more time in a college weight training program.

“He’s everything that I thought he would be recruiting him. He’s going to help us tremendously,” Hall said. “He’s physical. He’s a big kid. He has a great foundation. His d-line coach has done a great job preparing him for college football.”

Parker had 16.5 tackles for loss and 12 sacks as a senior, after finishing with 23 tackles for loss as a junior.

He graduated early, arrived at Clemson this winter and quickly showed why he is ranked as the No. 54 overall player in the country, according to the On3 Industry rankings.

“For a young man who should be in high school to come in and play and execute and do the things that he’s doing on the field, as a high schooler, I’ve been very pleased,” Hall said. “I saw that when I watched him practice. I saw that when I watched him play. He’s doing a great job. He’s physical at the point of attack. He can rush the quarterback.”

Clemson needs Parker to come in and contribute right away after losing starting defensive ends Myles Murphy and KJ Henry to the NFL.

The Tigers return Xavier Thomas and Justin Mascoll at defensive end but lack experienced depth. Parker is physically and mentally ready to help right away.

“We’ve gotta get more physical. We’ve gotta get more detailed in what we’re doing from a fundamental and technique standpoint,” Hall said of where his defensive ends need to improve. “And then we’ve gotta get these guys playing at a high level.”

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