Clemson signed 21 players as part of its 2022 recruiting class, some of whom still have yet to make it to campus.
Nine signees went through spring practice as early enrollees while the rest, including transfer Hunter Johnson, will arrive on campus this summer. The Clemson Insider is taking a closer look at each newcomer and the likelihood of him contributing immediately this fall based on development and positional need.
Next up is Wade Woodaz.
Position: Linebacker
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 205 pounds
Ranking: 3 stars (247Sports Composite)
Previous school: Jesuit (Florida) High
Early enrollee? No
The skinny: Woodaz is a rangy athlete who could line up at multiple positions for the Tigers after playing safety in high school, but he was recruited as a linebacker. Woodaz was a productive defensive member of a Jesuit team that went 38-2 over his final three high school seasons, finishing his prep career with 216 tackles. He tallied 82 stops and two interceptions as a senior, which included an 18-tackle game against St. Thomas Aquinas.
Clemson doesn’t have a ton of proven depth at the second level of its defense behind Trenton Simpson, Lavonta Bentley and Keith Maguire, so Woodaz could be a darkhorse candidate to push for a spot in the rotation this fall. But Woodaz is also coming in with two other freshmen linebackers (T.J. Dudley and Kobe McCloud) as well as transfer Jesiah Carlton and could use a year in the weight room to fill out his frame to help his move to the position, so a redshirt season isn’t out of the question.
