Top Clemson defensive tackle declares for NFL Draft, will leave school early
Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods has made his NFL decision.
Woods is declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft, he announced Tuesday on social media. The true junior and former five-star recruit will leave Clemson a year early.
Woods did not specify whether he will play in Clemson’s upcoming bowl game. The Tigers will play Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl in New York City on Dec. 27.
In recent years, Clemson players who’ve declared for the NFL Draft ahead of the team’s bowl game have opted out and not participated in the bowl game.
“It has been an honor to wear the paw these last few years, and it will always be a part of me, but the time has finally come,” Woods wrote in a social media post.
Woods (6-3, 310) has been widely projected as a top 10 overall pick in national mock draft. He was the consensus No. 5 prospect in the draft pool among four ESPN NFL insiders as of last month and has been projected to go as high as No. 2.
Woods will leave coach Dabo Swinney’s program with 84 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and five sacks in 35 career games. He saw a drop in production from his sophomore to junior season, partially because he faced more double-teams. Woods went from 8.5 TFLs and 3.0 sacks in 2024 to 3.5 TFLs and 2.0 sacks in 2025.
Woods, a capable athlete, also carved out a role as a short-yardage running back and fullback for Clemson’s offense and ran eight times for 15 yards and five touchdowns during the regular season.
Redshirt junior WR Antonio Williams and junior CB Avieon Terrell have already announced they’ll be leaving Clemson after this season and going to the NFL Draft. With Woods’ decision, the following players still have pending decisions: junior DE T.J. Parker and junior DE Will Heldt.
Woods, an Alabama native and former five-star recruit, thanked Clemson’s program and fanbase for welcoming him with “open arms.”
“I’ve experienced another form of true brotherhood through this sport, and I don’t take that for granted,” Woods wrote.
This story was originally published December 9, 2025 at 1:15 PM.
