
Clemson defensive line pair named one of college football's 5 best dynamic duos for 2025
Clemson set to play home-and-home series against Big East basketball brand: report https://t.co/ToAloxT0jH pic.twitter.com/1bPoTuI5gi
CBS Sports has spotlighted the duos set to shape the 2025 College Football Playoff race, and Clemson's defensive front was firmly in the mix. The Tigers' tandem of T.J. Parker and Peter Woods ranked No. 4 nationally on CBS' list of top dynamic duos in college football heading into the new season.
'The Clemson defense took its lumps in 2024 but looks poised for a potentially dominant season with Tom Allen stepping into the coordinator role,' CBS' Carter Bahns wrote. 'It all starts up front with perhaps the nation's top returning defensive lineman in Peter Woods and an unstoppable edge rusher in T.J. Parker.'
Parker enters 2025 with momentum after a breakout sophomore season that saw him earn second-team All-ACC honors. He set a school record with six forced fumbles while also ranking top-10 nationally in forced fumbles, tackles for loss (19.5), and sacks (11). He's the only player in the country who cracked the top 10 in all three categories last season.
Woods, a former five-star recruit, contributed across the line in 2024 and even logged snaps at fullback. In 11 games, he tallied 32 tackles (8.5 for loss), three sacks, and a forced fumble.
The only duos ranked ahead of Parker and Woods were Penn State's running backs (Nicholas Singleton/Kaytron Allen), Texas' defensive pairing (Anthony Hill Jr./Colin Simmons), and Ohio State's wide receivers (Jeremiah Smith/Carnell Tate). Arizona State's QB-WR combo of Sam Leavitt and Jordyn Tyson rounded out the top five.
CBS also gave honorable mention to Clemson wide receivers Antonio Williams and Bryant Wesco Jr., pointing to the deep arsenal available to quarterback Cade Klubnik.
Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
Undrafted to unstoppable: Former Texas A&M guard helps lead Thunder to NBA glory
It is difficult to argue that there are players on the Oklahoma City Thunder roster more deserving than former Texas A&M guard Alex Caruso. The two-time National Basketball Association champion's contributions to the Thunder have played a key role in bringing home the first championship in franchise history to Oklahoma City. Caruso is selfless, unique and dependable among other things. As a result of his hard work on and off the court to become the best player and teammate possible, he is also undoubtedly a champion. "I think just through my career, I figured out that I can do stuff that's not necessarily sexy or not necessarily the mainstream offensive or even defensive skill set that people recognize," Caruso said, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic. "I just leaned into it. I practiced being great at the stuff that nobody else does, carving a role for myself in the league. I think through the years, I've just kind of perfected that stuff." The College Station native played his collegiate ball with the hometown Aggies from 2012-2016, in which he racked up numerous accolades throughout his time in the Maroon and White uniform. Caruso was named the Southeastern Conference's Defensive Player of the Year by CBS Sports during his senior campaign. Following an outstanding college career, he signed with the Thunder as an undrafted free agent but was later waived by the team. After a stint with the team's G-League affiliate, Caruso's performances during the 2017 NBA Summer League with the Los Angeles Lakers earned him the franchise's first two-way contract, to become the first player to go from the G-League to the NBA. Fast forward three years, Caruso hoisted the 2020 NBA Championship trophy with teammates LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard, Kyle Kuzma and many more. In 2025, he's now contributed and earned the right to be called champion once again. That also means that everyone can stop undermining his championship victory with the Lakers in 2020. Caruso expressed his feelings on the Thunder's victory over the Indiana Pacers and joked about his new "real" trophy following his second NBA title. While he made NBA history by recording the most steals by any bench player in the Finals (17), he also set a Texas A&M record by joining Walter "Buddy" Davis as the only Aggies with multiple NBA titles. When the hard work was complete, it took a veteran like Caruso to teach OKC's rookies how to pop the bottles of champagne and celebrate as champions should. Make no mistake about it, Caruso's success was well-earned. It comes from being unique in his game and constantly honing his craft. Working on the small details has become his specialty, but winning championships seems to be in his skill set as well. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Dylan on X: @dylanmflippo.


USA Today
6 hours ago
- USA Today
Michigan State football extends offer to 2027 Pennsylvania linebacker prospect
Michigan State has extended a host of new offers in the 2027 recruiting class, and on Monday, they have found their latest prospect to offer. Ni'Shaun Ward-McMullen was the recipient of the offer from Michigan State defensive coordinator Joe Rossi, who is also the team's linebacker coach. A 6-foot-2, 225 pound linebacker from Steelton, Pennsylvania, attending Steelton-Highspire High School, Ward-McMullen has yet to be ranked. Michigan State has gone into Rossi's home state to give Ward-McMullen his first division one offer. Minnesota has also shown interest in the 2027 linebacker prospect. He does not have any other additional offers at this time. Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on X @Cory_Linsner


USA Today
6 hours ago
- USA Today
2026 4-star Edge shuts down his recruitment, explains why he committed to Texas A&M
Texas A&M coach Mike Elko has built an incredible foundation heading into this second season at the helm, as he has continued to prove that he is as good, or even a better recruiter compared to former head coach Jimbo Fisher this offseason after landing five elite commitments over the past week in the 2026 recruiting class. Leading into this week, nearly half a dozen of the program's 19 commits have shut down their recruitment, including five-star edge Tristian Givens, who committed to the Aggies on Saturday. This trend started with four-star running back Jonathan Hatton, followed by four-star wide receiver Aaron Gregory, and four-star tight end Caleb Tafua quickly following his lead. Since then, one of the program's earliest commits, four-star edge Jordan Carter, also shut down his future visits. On Monday, fellow four-star edge/linebacker Samu Moala became the next important defender in the cycle to shut things down, as he will sign with the Aggies as soon as the Early Signing period on December 4. Moala has been the subject of several potential rumors over the last couple of weeks, as UCLA and Washington have attempted to flip the versatile prospect. During his recent interview with Rivals recruiting insider Adam Gorney at the Rivals Five-Star event in Indianapolis, Moala explained why he chose to shut down his recruitment and stick with Texas A&M: "Very hard decision, but I committed there because I want to play with the best and play against the best in the SEC" Moala stated. "It felt like home; I went there (College Station) this past weekend, and they made it feel like home, they answered all my questions that needed to be answered, and I'm fully committed." Moala also revealed that staying at edge with the Aggies was a big part of his decision, as UCLA wanted him to play linebacker at the next level. After praising Texas A&M's culture during his official visit, Moala also stated that he is expected to play the Jack position on defense, with an emphasis on rushing the passer and dropping back in coverage to blanket tight ends. Here is the full interview: Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.