Dabo Swinney calls Peter Woods 'one of the most unique players' he's ever coached

The Clemson Tigers have been one of the most consistent college football programs in acquiring and developing defensive line talent. And the next in line to star in the Tigers’ defensive front seven is freshman defensive lineman Peter Woods.

Woods has not taken the first official snap of his college football career, but head coach Dabo Swinney already thinks the world of him. During the final day of the 2023 ACC Football Kickoff, the Clemson headman made a bold claim about his freshman talent.

“Yeah, if he’s dressed out for the Tigers and available, good things are happening,” said Swinney. “He’s one of the most unique players in my 20 years at Clemson. So we had Christian Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence, Austin Bryant, Clelin Ferrell all at Clemson for five weeks this summer, they were all at Clemson for five weeks training this summer, and we floated in the lake for two hours last week before they left and we were talking about [Woods]. And they’re getting their feelings hurt because I’m like, ‘We ain’t never had someone show up like this guy.'”

“Because Christian was a little fleshy, and played at a little, small private school, and Dexter was really, really big and needed to hone in a little bit. Austin and Clelin were kind of puny, you know. This kid, it’s rare you get a guy that it’s like all matches up. Like some guys, they’re physically ready, but mentally they’re not there. Some guys, they’re mentally ready to play today, but physically, they’re not there. This is a guy that mentally and physically, it’s unbelievable.”

According to Swinney, Woods is a rare blend of size, strength, and physicality coupled with a mental maturity that puts him head and shoulders above the rest. And that is saying a lot, given the talent that has suited up for the Tigers headman in recent years. In the 2023 Draft alone, two Clemson defensive linemen, Myles Murphy, and Bryan Bresee, were taken in the first round.

It’s not just what Woods offers on the field that has his college head coach enamored with him. Swinney shares a unique link with him as they are both Alabama natives from the same area. But most importantly, he is fond of the character Woods possesses.

“I mean, he played 7A football at Thompson (Alabama) High School, which, ironically, I grew up hating Thompson, that was my rival in high school. But you talk about, they went to five state championships in a row. This kid has been coached to the Nth degree, and he runs probably a 4.65 [40-yard dash], he’s 300-plus pounds, he’s probably top 3-4 strongest kid [on the team]. And he’s a humble, unique kid. And that’s saying a lot about a kid that hasn’t played one snap, right? But he’s just one of those rare guys that’s just ready.”

“So it’s been cool because you’ve got [graduate seniors] like Ruke [Orhorhoro] and Tyler [Davis], these are pros playing for Clemson this year, these guys could be playing on Sundays like right now, but they came back. And here’s this young kid coming in, and it just makes everybody better. You’ll see him.”

How much Clemson fans will get to see Woods in action next season is yet to be determined. As previously stated, the Tigers typically carry a ton of talent throughout their defense of life. But given all the attributes Woods possesses, his time to shine in Clemson’s front seven might come sooner rather than later.