Five-star defensive line recruit Peter Woods says he is “100 percent committed” to Clemson after making a verbal commitment to the Tigers this summer.
The most striking hiring of the coaching carousel of 2022 wants to make sure.
Speaking to reporters ahead of this week’s conference Mississippi/Alabama All-Star Football GameWoods said the former Jackson State coach Deion Sanders is “trying to yell at me and see how solid I am with my draft” after taking the Colorado head coaching job over the weekend.
Forest, the No. 32 recruit in the Class of 2023 according to 247Sports Composite rankingsHe also said he is in “constant communication” with Alabama’s defensive line coach. freddy cockroacha close friend, as the early signing period of December 21-23 approaches.
But don’t count on him flipping.
“My Clemson family beats me more than anyone”, Woods said Tuesday, according to Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports. “Even after committing, they still recruit me.”
Woods, a senior at Thompson High School in Alabaster, Alabama, immediately became the top recruit of Clemson’s class of 2023, and arguably the most prominent, when he committed on July 8.
Alabama was the home program for Woods and a school that had a “99%” chance of getting his summer commitment, according to a recruiting analyst. But Clemson made waves with an official visit in June and built a big momentum with Woods in the midst of a recruiting streak in 2023.
Woods also listed Florida and Jackson State (then under Sanders) as finalists, but ultimately landed on the Tigers due to close relationships with the defensive line coach. nick eason and defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin.
Woods, who is 6-foot-3 and 270 pounds, will also have a chance to contribute immediately for Clemson, which could realistically lose the majority of its 2022 defensive line until graduation or the 2023 NFL Draft.
Second-year defensive tackle Bryan Bresee and junior defensive end Myles Murphy are listed as Top 10 Draft Prospects by Pro Football Focus; senior defensive end KJ Henry is out of eligibility; and junior defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro and fifth-year senior defensive end Xavier Thomas are undecided about returning to Clemson next season.
The Tigers could also lose fifth-year senior defensive end Justin Mascoll, who was walked on Senior Day and saw junior defensive end Kevin Swint hit the transfer portal earlier this week.
All of which makes Woods, announced Monday as the 2022 MaxPreps Alabama High School Football Player of the Yearthat’s much more important to coach Dabo Swinney’s 2023 team.
Woods had 83 total tackles, 21.0 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks and two fumble recoveries in his senior year for Thompson (11-1). He finished his prep career with 70 tackles for loss, 29.5 sacks, a 50-5 record and four straight state titles in Alabama’s largest high school rankings.
Listed with a player rating of 0.9848 on 247Sports, Woods is the Top recruit in Clemson’s 23-member class of 2023. Five-star quarterback Christopher Vizzina (No. 36), four-star defensive lineman Vic Burley (No. 55), four-star defensive lineman Tomarrion Parker (No. 94), and four-star interior offensive lineman Harris Sewell (No. 96). ) also rank in Clemson’s top 100 commitments.
As of now, Woods plans to sign his national letter with Clemson during the initial term of December 21-23 and enroll midyear in January. by Clemson247.
Sanders, former Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback, brought unprecedented attention and success to Jackson Statean HBCU from Mississippi who competes in the Division I FCS Southwest Athletic Conference, before taking the Colorado job.
Sanders’ Tigers went undefeated in SWAC for the second straight season in 2022, and are 23-2 in their last 25 games with just one win by less than 10 points. by ESPN.
Sanders is also a recruiting guru who got No. 1 overall recruit Travis Hunter from Florida State to Jackson State during last year’s initial recruiting period.
Aside from his attempts to get Woods out of Clemson, “Coach Prime” has already acquired a five-star wide receiver commitment by 2025 and “supercharged Colorado’s recruiting (and) relevance in less than two days.” as a USA TODAY headline put it.
