Dabo Swinney with College Football’s Best Defensive Tackles, PFF Says
Clemson continues to produce elite talent, with another Tiger earning the title of No. 1 at his position heading into the 2025 season.
Following multiple outlets ranking Cade Klubnik as college football’s top quarterback, Pro Football Focus (PFF) has named Peter Woods the best interior defensive lineman in the sport.
Despite spending much of his sophomore season playing out of position as an edge defender, Woods still posted an impressive 83.3 PFF grade. “Over his first two years of college football, he ranks as both the highest-graded and most valuable returning Power Four defensive tackle, according to PFF’s Wins Above Average metric,” PFF’s Max Chadwick noted.
Woods has been dominant against both the run and pass. Since 2023, he leads all returning Power Four interior defenders with an 89.7 run-defense grade and a 14.9% pass-rush win rate. His rare blend of power and agility at 6-foot-3, 315 pounds presents a major challenge for offensive linemen trying to contain him.
Through his first two seasons at Clemson, Woods has recorded 59 tackles, including 11 for loss, along with 3.0 sacks and two forced fumbles in 698 defensive snaps across 23 games (12 starts). The former five-star recruit from Thompson High School (Ala.) now looks to build on his resume as he anchors Clemson’s defensive front in 2025.
Interestingly, none of the next nine players in PFF’s defensive tackle rankings appear on Clemson’s regular-season schedule, making Woods the undisputed top interior lineman in any matchup the Tigers will face this season.
