Clemson makes four-star DL Peter Woods' top four

On3 imageby:Jeremy Johnson03/31/22

JeremyO_Johnson

Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson defensive lineman Peter Woods is down to four schools. A jolt can be felt from Alabaster up to Clemson, South Carolina. The Tigers are still in the running for the No. 22 overall prospect in the On3 Consensus rankings alongside Alabama, Florida and Oklahoma.

Woods is the No. 19 overall prospect in the On300 rankings.

The in-state Crimson Tide has been considered the favorite for Woods for a while. On3’s Prediction Recruiting Machine has Alabama out front with a 97.9% chance of landing the 6-foot-2, 280-pound defender.

Clemson culture intriguing Peter Woods?

Woods was last on Clemson’s campus on Jan. 29. He opened up with Clemson Sports following that visit. Clemson’s culture was a key piece of what stood out to Woods.

“You can just really tell being there and being with the guys and being with the coaches and even the new staff; they’ve already bought into the culture of just creating a man,” Woods told Joseph Hastings. “Just how important it is to manage. One day, football is going to be over and you’ll have to be able to find a job and be able to network throughout your playing time. Just a whole bunch of other things that they have set up and in place to make you a better man.”

The Tigers’ tradition of former players sticking around after their playing careers also caught Woods’ attention after meeting head coach Dabo Swinney.

“Coach Swinney blew my mind with this number: He said 27 former players are on the staff,” Woods said. “If a guy had a bad experience at Clemson, I don’t think he’d come back. That goes to show what the experience is like as far as being a Clemson football player and playing under Coach Swinney.

“It shows Coach Swinney cares about your aspirations and the things that you desire to do in the future. He wants to set you up with it.”