ALABASTER Ala. — The Clemson Insider’s Tour of Champions traveled on Wednesday to Thompson High School, home to big-time Clemson target, Peter Woods
Fresh off his latest visit to The Valley, Woods, who is ranked as the No. 4 defensive lineman in the 2023 class per the 247Sports Composite, recapped his Clemson Elite Junior Day experience with TCI.
“Mainly being at that junior day, it was just a lot of family vibes,” Woods said. “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 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.)”
What was Clemson’s message to Woods when he was back on campus?
“Basically, they got a lot of guys that came back for the D-line this past year, that’ll probably leave for the draft this coming year,” he said. “You got Bryan Bresee and KJ Henry and (Xavier Thomas), who decided to come back. One thing for me would just be kind of like a plug-and-play guy because they’ll be a little thin at D-line. In their ‘22 recruiting class, they didn’t really get that many guys.”
Woods made multiple trips to Clemson this past season and had an opportunity to take in some game-day experiences at Memorial Stadium. While he’s recapped those experiences before, he was able to give an in-depth look at what being a recruit in The Valley for a game day looks like.
“The traditions immediately jump off at me,” Woods said. “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.”
Clemson’s junior day was also Woods’ first time returning to campus in the aftermath of Brent Venables and Todd Bates’ departures to Oklahoma. Both had previously served as his primary recruiters at Clemson, but as he previously indicated to TCI, Bates leaving the program doesn’t change how he views the program, the school itself or the staff.
It also helps that Woods has a prior relationship with Clemson’s newly-minted defensive tackles coach and run game coordinator, Nick Eason.
Woods said that he’s always been taught by his parents, that when he’s picking a school, to just fall in love with the said school, the environment and the people you’re gonna be with.
“I definitely have a great relationship with Clemson and not just Coach Bates, so that was a big part of it for me,” Woods added.
As we’ve come to find out this offseason, coaches could be temporary or they could be permanent. You just never know in today’s day and age.
“Coach Eason is a great guy,” he said. “Very knowledgeable in the game of football and just life. He’s been there before and that’s another thing that I feel like he can help me with and I can benefit from, just the fact that he knows how to get to the next level, what they’re expecting, so he knows kind of what to pour into me.”
In that same breath, Woods gave his thoughts on what Clemson’s defensive line might look like under Eason’s direction and he seemed to be pleased with his own answer.
“Their D-line this past year was nasty and it’s only gonna get better with all those guys coming back,” he said. “I feel like they’ll probably be the best D-line in the country, regardless of FBS, FCS, all that. They definitely have the talent and they definitely gonna have the coaches to get them through it with Coach Eason coming in. I know he’s gonna have to build a relationship with the guys, but can he coach? That’s not really a question.”
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