Coming into the 2023 season, all eyes were on five-star defensive tackle Peter Woods to be the standout player in the Tigers’ 2023 recruiting class. And while Woods has played well, another true freshman has emerged as a difference maker for the Tigers on the defensive line.
Through six games, defensive end T.J. Parker leads Clemson in sacks with four and has the fifth most total tackles on the team with 19.
While Parker is just a true freshman and isn’t technically a starter, he has cemented himself among the Tigers’ best pass rushers, earning praise from defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin on Monday.
“You knew early on, even in January coming in, that he was kind of well beyond his years as far as football, understanding his technique and just his work ethic,” Goodwin said of Parker. “Just the type of young man that he is, really high character, great family, all of the above. But every week, he seems to get better and better and better.”
Parker had the best game of his young career against Syracuse in Week 5 when he had five tackles and two sacks. The performance earned him ACC Player of the Week honors, and he joined Myles Murphy, Dexter Lawrence and Corico Wright as the only Clemson freshmen in the Dabo Swinney era to record two sacks in a single game.
“He still needs to clean up some alignment issues and doing some small things better. But for the most part, he’s been really productive,” Goodwin added. “Heavy-handed, providing some good pass rush force up front and just brings great energy and demeanor, as well, on game day. He really understands how offenses attack. I’m super excited about the second half, seeing where he continues to improve and grow.”
A four-star recruit coming out of high school, Parker has been playing behind Xavier Thomas and Justin Mascoll. That said, his youth and inexperience haven’t stopped him from seeing significant snaps.
Mascoll had high praise for Parker when speaking to the media on Sept. 26, saying that Parker is much further along than where he was as a freshman.
“He’s just a hard worker, and he competes every day,” Mascoll said. “He definitely pushes me and XT every day to be better, and I just appreciate him so much. He’s kind of he’s come a long way. I mean, he came in the spring, but he’s made a major stride in his game as far as being a great pass rusher and playing the run well. And just his knowledge of the game was growing. You could just tell he knows a lot of football.”
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