Tag: Wade Woodaz

Clemson linebacker announces return for one more season

Woodaz is back for one more season.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers got excellent news on Christmas Eve as one of the Tigers’ top defenders is ready to return to Clemson for one more season with the program.

Starting linebacker Wade Woodaz took to social media to announce his return to Clemson, using the classic clip from The Terminator, stating ‘I’ll be back.” Huge news for a Clemson team that was projected to be very thin at linebacker next season.

Woodaz started 12 games for the Tigers in 2024, recording 82 tackles, nine tackles for loss and three sacks and three forced fumbles. During his career, he has recorded 30 total tackles, 30 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and four forced fumbles.

Clemson’s defense will look much better with Woodaz returning to lead the unit.

 

Dabo Swinney on why Wade Woodaz didn’t play against Pitt

Swinney on Woodaz missing the Pitt game.

Clemson football head coach Dabo Swinney shed light on the absence of linebacker Wade Woodaz in the Tigers’ narrow 24-20 win over Pitt on Saturday at Acrisure Stadium. Although Woodaz traveled with the team, he was sidelined due to a thigh bruise sustained during practice earlier in the week. Swinney did not provide a timeline for his return.

Woodaz, a key defensive leader, has been instrumental for Clemson this season, leading the team with 65 tackles, along with 6.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, four pass breakups, and nine quarterback pressures. His absence was felt on Saturday, particularly as the Tigers’ linebacker corps was stretched thin. Freshman Sammy Brown stepped in to start as a middle linebacker but was ejected late in the second quarter for targeting, leaving Clemson even more shorthanded.

The defensive challenges extended beyond linebacker depth. Injuries piled up throughout the game, with RJ Mickens exiting late in the fourth quarter and Sammy Brown’s ejection exacerbating the team’s difficulties. Yet, despite these setbacks, Clemson’s defense managed to hold Pitt in check when it mattered most, including a game-sealing interception by Khalil Barnes on Pitt’s final drive.

Clemson will look to regroup and get healthier as they prepare to host The Citadel next weekend. With Woodaz’s status uncertain, the Tigers’ depth will remain a concern as they push to stay in the ACC title race.

ESPN names Clemson football’s 2024 sleeper pick

ESPN.com’s David Hale named this Clemson linebacker as his sleeper pick heading into the 2024 season.

With only six Saturdays remaining before the 2024 college football season kicks off with “Week 0’s” ACC matchup between Florida State and Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland, ESPN took a look at sleeper picks for teams in their post-spring Top 25 rankings.

For Clemson, returning linebacker Wade Woodaz was named the team’s sleeper pick by ESPN.com’s David Hale.

Per Hale:

“The talk at linebacker around Clemson largely centers on three players: The one who left (Jeremiah Trotter Jr.), the one who stayed (Barrett Carter) and the one who just arrived (five-star recruit Sammy Brown). The name missing from that conversation is Woodaz, who has racked up 5.5 sacks, two picks, 11.5 tackles for loss and a ton of big reps over two years with the Tigers and will be stepping into a full-time starting role in 2024.

Dabo Swinney raved about Woodaz’s work this offseason, and he made a point of noting that, for all the buzz surrounding Brown, it’s clear who’s ahead on the depth chart today.”

RELATED: Clemson ranked best linebacker corps in ACC by Phil Steele

Woodaz made five starts for the Tigers a year ago and had eight tackles in the Tigers’ Orange vs. White Spring Game in April. 247Sports named Woodaz as the team’s top spring practice standout.

Clemson was No. 16 in ESPN’s post-spring rankings (released in May), five spots behind Florida State and three spots behind NC State among ACC teams.

Georgia was ranked No. 1 in ESPN’s rankings. The Tigers travel to Atlanta to face the Bulldogs to open the season August 31 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Kickoff is set for noon EDT. The game will be televised nationally on ABC.

Follow us @Clemson_Wire on X and on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news, notes and commentary. 

Clemson ranked best linebacker corps in ACC by Phil Steele

Longtime college football analyst Phil Steele has the Tigers’ linebacker corps at No. 8 nationally entering the 2024 season.

One of the biggest strengths for Clemson’s defense heading into the 2024 college football season figures to be at linebacker.

To that end, veteran college football prognosticator Phil Steele recently released his annual position rankings. In them, Steele named Clemson’s linebacker corps the best in the ACC.

While the Tigers lost Jeremiah Trotter Jr. to the NFL Draft, they return senior Barrett Carter after much speculation that Carter would forego his senior year of eligibility to enter the draft. He chose to return to Clemson where he heads into the season as one of the nation’s top-rated linebackers.

Elsewhere at the position, Wade Woodaz made five starts a season ago and had an impressive showing in the Tigers’ annual Orange vs. White Spring Game, totaling eight tackles. Woodaz hopes to help Wes Goodwin’s defense offset the loss of Trotter. Kobe McCloud adds depth to the unit after being credited with 17 tackles a season ago.

Then there’s the much-anticipated debut of five-star freshman linebacker Sammy Brown, who had an equally impressive spring game performance with eight tackles (six solo) and one sack.

Jamal Anderson will look to further his development after seeing action in all 13 games as a freshman. Clemson also has three-star linebackers Drew Woodaz and C.J. Kubah-Taylor from its 2024 recruiting class.

Steele ranked Clemson’s linebacker corps No. 8 nationally — one spot behind Oregon. Iowa was ranked No. 1 in Steele’s rankings.

Follow us @Clemson_Wire on X and on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news, notes and commentary. 

Barrett Carter on Sammy Brown: ‘That kid’s special, to say the least’

Clemson defenders are sharing high praise for new linebacker Sammy Brown.

The Clemson football program landed one of the top recruits in the 2024 class, 5-star linebacker Sammy Brown.

The Tigers needed help at linebacker with the departure of Jeremiah Trotter Jr., and they got exactly that with Brown. There has been some serious hype around the young linebacker, and for good reason, he has all the tools to be one of the best linebackers in the country.

Clemson star linebacker Barrett Carter recently discussed what he’s seen from Brown so far, sharing praise for what Brown is capable of.
“That kid’s special, to say the least. He’s gifted. What I like about Sammy is that he’s very aware that football is such a mental game… he’s been hungry to learn and eager to learn, and he’s put in so much extra time besides what we have mandatory. Just trying to learn the place, he’ll come to me, ask me questions… he’s going to be special, but I’m really impressed with how smart he is,” Carter said.

Carter isn’t the only one who’s been impressed with Brown. Starting linebacker Wade Woodaz had excellent things to say about the freshman, particularly about his work in the weight room.

“He’s a machine in the weight room and on the field. Just steady Eddy, never phases,” Woodaz said. “Makes us all better just by pushing us because this guy is 18 years old coming in here and he’s stronger than most of us.”

Fans should be excited about Brown as he could be the Tigers’ next great linebacker.

Dabo Swinney on Wade Woodaz: ‘He’s what you look for’

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney shared high praise for linebacker Wade Woodaz.

Meeting with the media Wednesday, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney had nothing but great things to say about sophomore linebacker Wade Woodaz.

During the meeting with the media, Swinney was asked how he feels Woodaz has done this season. Swinney is clearly happy with what he’s seen from the linebacker, stating he is a ‘baller’ who loves to play the game.

“Baller. Baller. He’s a heck of a football player, man,” Swinney said. “He’s what you look for. I mean, he loves it – loves to play, loves to practice. Got a lot of football character. Tough as they come. Multi-position guy. Great leader. Great teammate.”

Over 10 games this season, Woodaz has totaled 25 tackles (5.0 for loss) and an impressive four sacks. The sophomore linebacker has also added two interceptions, one of which was a 35-yard pick-six against Charleston Southern.

“I mean, he’s had an awesome sophomore year and a guy that’s got a lot of value,” Swinney said. “He’s scored, he’s made a bunch of plays. So, he’s a pretty good true sophomore.”

Woodaz has been impressive this season, and a strong end to this season will have Tigers’ fans excited to see what he’s capable of next season.

Clemson statistical leaders through eight games

Who scares you most on the Tigers?

This hasn’t been the season Clemson or any outsiders envisioned. While not everyone was anticipating another national championship, it’s doubtful anyone expected that by this point, the Tigers wouldn’t even been receiving votes in polls. A bowl isn’t out of the realm of possibility, but if November is a very bad month for the Tigers, it’s probable they’ll be watching bowl season at home. Talk about dropping off.

All of that said, there still is some talent on this Tigers team, especially on defense. If anything, these players are remnants of a time in the recent past when the Tigers were feared. Many might have picked Notre Dame to lose Saturday’s game at the start of the season, but that no longer is a certainty. This is why you play the games though: You never know what can happen.

Here are the Tigers most likely to have an impact when they face the Irish:

Athlon Sports ranks Clemson with the No.1 linebacker unit in college football

Clemson’s linebacker unit has received tremendous praise this offseason.

Something you’ve likely heard throughout this offseason is Clemson’s talent in their linebacker unit, and they have once again been recognized as a group heading into the 2023 college football season.

The latest to do so was Athlon Sports, who ranked Clemson with the No.1 linebacker unit in the country for 2023. Here is what writer Steven Lassan had to say about Clemson’s linebacker unit.

Trenton Simpson is off to the NFL, but the Tigers still return the best one-two pairing at linebacker with Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (89 tackles) and Barrett Carter (73) returning for ’23. Sophomore Wade Woodaz tallied 20 tackles as a freshman last year and should solidify the third spot in Clemson’s starting group for ’23.

The group is headlined by Trotter and Carter, two preseason All-Americans who are both possible first-round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. We know exactly what to expect out of these two-star linebackers; the piece that will keep it all together is sophomore Wade Woodaz.

Stepping into a new role, we are expecting a big breakout from Woodaz as he plays next to two elite linebackers. While eyes are on Trotter and Carter, Woodaz will have a plethora of opportunities to make plays.

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Swinney updates Trotter’s injury status

Clemson is dealing with an injury at an already-depeleted position group.

Clemson already had a depleted linebacker room entering fall camp, and now the Tigers are dealing with an injury to one of their star players at the position.

Junior linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. has a hamstring injury, prompting him to miss Wednesday’s scrimmage, head coach Dabo Swinney said.

Although Trotter is missing some time, Swinney said the team is just being cautious.

“He’s good, he’s rolling. If we played today, he would be playing,” Swinney said.

Trotter, an All-America linebacker last season, had an impressive sophomore campaign in 2022, finishing with 89 total tackles, 6.5 sacks, two interceptions and one forced fumble. But with just six linebackers in the rotation, his injury adds even more uncertainty at the position.

The Tigers’ linebacker room took a significant hit in July when Clemson dismissed TJ Dudley from the team for breaking team rules. Dudley, a former four-star recruit, was poised to compete for substantial playing time and possibly even a starting spot.

Besides Trotter and Carter, Wade Woodaz is the only linebacker on Clemson’s roster with significant game experience, and he only has one start.

Linebacker Barrett Carter and several of the “high-snap” players, like Tyler Davis and Xavier Thomas, were also held out of the scrimmage, Swinney added. He said that Trotter and Carter’s absence allowed some of the younger and more inexperienced players to make a mark for themselves in the scrimmage.

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PFF ranks Clemson’s linebacker unit as No.1 in college football

Clemson’s linebacker unit is the best in the country and will headline the Tigers’ defense in 2023.

Heading into the 2023 college football season, there is no linebacker unit in the country that is more talented than the Clemson Tigers’ linebackers.

Led by two 2024 NFL Draft first-round hopefuls, Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Barrett Carter, the Tigers linebackers are as dangerous as they come. Earlier in the year, Pro Football Focus ranked the duo as the No.1 (Trotter) and No.5 (Carter) linebackers in the country for the 2023 season. 

Recently, PFF released their linebacker unit rankings for 2023, and with Trotter and Carter leading the way, Clemson ranked No.1. Here is what writer Max Chadwick had to say about the Tigers’ nation-leading linebacker unit.

With two of the top five linebackers in the country, Clemson is the easy choice to top this list.

Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is the best linebacker in college football, which shouldn’t be too surprising considering his bloodlines. His father, Jeremiah Trotter Sr., was a former All-Pro linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles. The younger Trotter was the only Power Five linebacker this past season to earn 80.0-plus grades both in coverage and as a pass rusher. He’s the No. 2 linebacker in the 2024 NFL Draft, according to PFF lead draft analyst Trevor Sikkema.

The only prospect above him is Barrett Carter, his teammate. Carter was one of only three Power Five linebackers in 2022 who earned 75.0-plus grades as a run defender, as a pass rusher and in coverage. He recorded seven combined interceptions and forced incompletions last season, tied for the most among linebackers.

Likely starting alongside them is Wade Woodaz, who earned a 74.9 grade on 180 snaps as a true freshman safety in 2022.

Wade Woodaz is expected to take the next step in 2023, making this units ceiling incredibly high. Trotter and Carter both should be All-Americans next season as they lead the Clemson defense.

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