Two Clemson Tigers Crack ESPN’s Top 20 in 2023 Recruiting Class Rerank

The 2026 NFL Draft is just two months away now, and a fair amount of media are looking back on how incoming prospects have panned out since beginning their collegiate career.

On Thursday, ESPN writer Billy Tucker reranked the top 25 draft prospects from the 2023 high school recruiting class, with two Clemson Tigers making the list.

The first player to be reranked was defensive tackle Peter Woods, who dropped from No. 4 in the original ESPN 300 rankings to No. 11 — switching places with Ohio State's Caleb Downs.

Tucker doesn't discredit Woods, though, describing his unreal measurables and his impact as one of the best interior defensive linemen in college football since coming in as a freshman in 2023.

"Woods didn't disappoint when we finally saw him in person at the 2023 Under Armour All-America game," he said. "He was the most disruptive player on the field against the nation's best competition, and his lack of ideal measurables at 6-foot-2, 275 pounds was not an issue."

"His explosion and initial quickness and tenacious motor overwhelmed offensive linemen in one-on-one situations all week. The former five-star was the top-ranked defensive player on the 2023 ESPN 300, and his Clemson career didn't disappoint."

Over the course of his three-year career, Woods showcased his freakish athleticism by playing both defensive tackle and end, totaling 84 tackles, 14.5 for a loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles and one pass deflection in 35 games played. He earned Freshman All-American honors in 2023.

While his numbers aren't off the charts, Tucker backs up his up-and-down production by explaining how often he was double-teamed by opposing offensive lines over the years and that he remains as one of, if not the best, defensive tackles in the upcoming draft.

"Woods penetrated ACC backfields and forced frequent double-teams, which muted his overall production, but he still showed versatility by lining up at defensive tackle and end," he wrote. "Woods projects as one of the first defensive tackles off the board in this year's NFL draft."

The next Clemson Tiger to make the top 25 reranking is edge rusher T.J. Parker, who made a huge jump. In the initial ESPN 300 rankings, he was slotted at the No. 87 spot, but he has now made a jump to No. 17 after three impressive years of play at the collegiate level.

“A top-100 prospect in the 2023 ESPN 300 and the No. 10 defensive end, Parker's Clemson production largely matched his high school projection,” Tucker stated. “He arrived in Death Valley with a blend of size at 6-foot-4, 255 pounds with power and range, which he used to overpower high school competition.”

Similar to Woods, the 6-foot-3 defensive lineman made an immediate impact as a freshman, racking up 32 tackles, 12.5 for a loss, 5.5 sacks and two pass deflections across nearly 500 snaps.

His true breakout campaign came as a sophomore in 2024, where he boasted 57 tackles, 20 for a loss, 11 sacks, six forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries as a full-time starter on the edge. Parker finished with the fifth-most tackles for a loss, the ninth-most sacks and the second-most forced fumbles in the country.

This past season was disappointing not only for Parker individually but also for the Clemson program as a whole, as it endured its worst season in 15 years. He finished the year with just 37 tackles, 9.5 for a loss, five sacks and three fumble recoveries across 548 snaps.

Parker's draft stock shot down, leaving him in the late first to early second-round range; however, he was able to set the record straight at the Senior Bowl, with ESPN's Matt Miller pegging him as the "overall winner" of the postseason showcase.

You see why Clemson EDGE TJ Parker had top 10 buzz in the summer.

First pass rush rep in team work ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/3Isk1kI3Ik
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) January 27, 2026

He's currently projected to be a lock for the first round after his dominant Senior Bowl showing, although you never know how the dominoes will fall when it comes to the draft.