Latest news with #T.J.Parker
USA Today
10 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Clemson is all over The Athletic's Top 25 ACC football players for the 2025 season
Clemson football will enter the 2025 season with no shortage of star power, and The Athletic's ($$$) latest ACC player rankings reflect just how loaded Dabo Swinney's roster is. Nine Tigers were named among the top 25 players in the ACC, with five of them ranked inside the top 10, including three in the top five and two in the top three. Edge rusher T.J. Parker leads the way at No. 1 overall after an outstanding 2024 campaign that included 16.5 career sacks, six forced fumbles, and a four-sack performance against Pittsburgh. He was also a key factor in Clemson's win over SMU in the ACC Championship Game. Fellow defensive lineman Peter Woods came in at No. 3. The 315-pound interior force recorded 28 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks in his first season as a full-time starter. The Athletic's Manny Navarro described Parker and Woods as 'a two-headed monster' that gives Clemson a major advantage defensively heading into 2025. Quarterback Cade Klubnik was ranked No. 4, earning recognition as the top quarterback in the league. Klubnik made a major leap in efficiency last year and enters this fall with 36 career touchdown passes, the most among returning FBS quarterbacks. His supporting cast only adds to his potential, with standout receiver Antonio Williams ranked No. 7 overall and recognized as the ACC's top wideout after leading the league with 11 touchdown receptions in 2024. Cornerback Avieon Terrell gives Clemson five players in the top 10. He landed at No. 8 after posting 58 tackles, 12 pass breakups, and two interceptions last season, while also establishing himself as one of the league's most reliable run defenders. Clemson's presence continues deeper into the list, with offensive tackle Blake Miller at No. 12. The veteran lineman has started 41 games in his career and was a first-team All-ACC selection in 2024. Linebacker Wade Woodaz (No. 16), safety Khalil Barnes (No. 18), and sophomore linebacker Sammy Brown (No. 22) round out the Clemson contingent. Barnes has led the team in interceptions each of the past two years, and Brown — a former five-star recruit — was last season's ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year. Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
How Cade Klubnik turned into Dabo Swinney's Heisman-calibre leader
Image Source: ABC Columbia The appearance of Cade Klubnik and his incredible transition as a quarterback with championship quality has made the Clemson Tigers a realistic national championship team going into the 2025 college football season. The development of the junior signal-caller, coupled with what most people believe to be the most imposing defensive front in the country, provides head coach Dabo Swinney with the building blocks he has not had in a long time. Cade Klubnik's quarterback mastery elevates the Clemson Tigers' championship aspirations Cade Klubnik has developed to the point where he is the biggest asset of Clemson University at the offensive position, where the team previously has been an unknown quantity. His breakout third season saw him set the third-largest single-season completion total in program history, and his 36 passing touchdowns are second all-time among Clemson Tigers quarterbacks. The moment that would define the Birmingham, Alabama native came in the College Football Playoff first round against the University of Texas when he shredded the Texas defence to the tune of 336 yards and three touchdowns, the most productive offensive performance Texas had surrendered all season. Cade Klubnik is following the same path that the championship quarterback development of Clemson had during the golden age under Swinney. His percentage of completion and accuracy have made him contend with the preseason Heisman Trophy, the first time a quarterback in the Tigers dons one since Trevor Lawrence. The backup cast features backup Christopher Vizzina, who has performed well in the spring practices, and the upcoming recruit, Chris Denson, who is a three-star prospect and has great upside. Peter Woods and T.J. Parker anchor nation's most dominant defensive line In 2025, the Clemson Tigers' defensive line is the most terrifying in college football history, headed by the outstanding duo of Peter Woods and T.J. Parker. Woods, the 300-pounder defensive tackle who lost 20 pounds during spring training, going from 320 pounds, had three sacks and one forced fumble in limited action in 2024. Size, speed, and technique make him potentially the first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, according to the NFL scouts. His record-breaking season last year made T.J. Parker the best pass rusher in college football, as he led Clemson University in sacks (11) and forced fumbles (6), tying the school record. The defensive end and his relentless pursuit and strip-sack talent have been compared to former Tigers great Clelin Ferrell. On the side of this elite pair is Will Heldt, a transfer student at Purdue University who is old enough to be an experienced player, and DeMonte Capehart, who comes in with his sixth season to offer leadership and depth. Their defensive line has been touted as the next big unit in the vein of Clemson Power Rangers that took the country by storm between 2016 and 2018 with Clelin Ferrell, Dexter Lawrence, Christian Wilkins, and Austin Bryant. That team anchored three College Football Playoff appearances and two national championships and set the blueprint of how to play defense line on your way to a championship. Also Read: College Football Playoff expansion impacts mid-major programs' championship hopes Clemson Tigers fans can follow the team's 2025 campaign beginning with their season opener, with games broadcast on ESPN and ACC Network throughout the fall. The combination of Klubnik's quarterback excellence and the defensive line's dominant potential positions Dabo Swinney's program for their first national championship appearance since 2020, when elite play at these positions traditionally translates to postseason success.
