ALABASTER, Ala. — Clemson has landed a huge commitment from one of the country’s top defensive line prospects, who basically hails from the University of Alabama’s backyard.
Thompson High School (Alabaster, Ala.) five-star Peter Woods announced his verbal pledge to the Tigers on Friday night during a commitment ceremony at his high school’s football facility.
Woods is rated as a five-star prospect by ESPN and the 247Sports Composite, the latter of which considers him the nation’s No. 3 defensive lineman and No. 23 overall prospect in the 2023 class regardless of position. ESPN ranks him as the No. 1 defensive tackle and No. 9 overall prospect in his class.
The 6-foot-2, 265-pound rising senior, who has collected more than 40 scholarship offers, chose the Tigers over his other three finalists – Alabama, Florida and Jackson State.
The Tigers extended an offer to Woods back on June 1, 2021.
He was most recently on campus for Clemson’s big official visit weekend from June 3-5, and that’s when he gave his commitment to the Tigers. Prior to that, he visited Clemson this past January for the Tigers’ elite junior day.
“Mainly being at that junior day, it was just a lot of family vibes,” Woods told The Clemson Insider during our Tour of Champions visit to see him at his school in February. “I got a lot of family vibes from just being around the coaching staff and the players. I just felt accepted. A big thing for Clemson for me is just the culture that Coach (Dabo) Swinney has at Clemson. For the most part, just being really family oriented, just like an ‘I got your back type deal.’ So, that’s a big thing for me coming from (Thompson).”
Woods also made a couple of visits to Clemson last season for the Boston College and Florida State games in October.
“The traditions immediately jump off at me,” Woods said, reflecting on the game-day visits. “The hill and the walking and the linking, it just kind of shows a brotherhood – something that people do and that look you forward to and that they do together as brothers. That’s just a big thing for me, just seeing the traditions, and it just goes back and links into the family.”
Last season, Woods recorded 93 tackles (27 for loss) and 14 sacks.
He is the fifth D-line commitment in Clemson’s 2023 class, joining Warner Robins (Ga.) four-star Vic Burley, Rome (Ga.) four-star Stephiylan Green, St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) four-star David Ojiegbe and Woodward Academy (Atlanta, Ga.) four-star A.J. Hoffler.
Overall, Woods becomes the 17th total commitment in the Tigers’ class, joining the aforementioned prospects along with Briarwood Christian (Birmingham, Ala.) five-star quarterback Christopher Vizzina, Eagle’s Landing Christian (McDonough, Ga.) four-star offensive lineman Zechariah Owens, Permian (Odessa, Texas) four-star offensive lineman Harris Sewell, Vandegrift (Austin, Texas) four-star offensive lineman Ian Reed, Westlake (Atlanta, Ga.) four-star cornerback Avieon Terrell, First Baptist Academy (Naples, Fla.) four-star tight end Olsen Patt Henry, St. Francis (Alpharetta, Ga.) four-star cornerback Branden Strozier, Sumner (Riverview, Fla.) four-star safety Kylen Webb, Rockwall (Texas) four-star wide receiver Noble Johnson, Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.) four-star linebacker Jamal Anderson, Denmark (Alpharetta, Ga.) four-star linebacker Dee Crayton and Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.) three-star tight end Markus Dixon.
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