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Defensive tackle Peter Woods showed up for Clemson as a rookie on his way to Freshman All-America honors. Now, he’s hoping to best that production in Year 2.
It seems his offseason has gotten off to a fantastic start in the weight room, and there’s a purpose behind his workout plan. Woods intends to change positions frequently along the front four of that Tigers defensive unit, providing Dabo Swinney’s bunch with a versatile pass rusher.
Woods arrived on campus with loads of hype. Expected to follow in the footsteps of Christian Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence, and Bryan Bresee, the five-star talent lived up to the expectation last season.
Now, Clemson expects more.
“He’ll play everywhere because he’s one of our team’s best pass rushers.”
-Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney
As a freshman, he tallied 27 tackles (2.5 for loss) to go along with a forced fumble. While he wasn’t able to record a sack from his tackle position, he did impact opposing passers with his rushing abilities.
To further highlight that pass rushing talent, the Tigers plan to move him around the line next year, using him both as a tackle and an end.
More from Darrian Carter of Greenville News:
Woods’ impact didn’t go unnoticed by Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, prompting the Tigers to change the Alabama native’s position. He will play defensive end opposite of T.J. Parker, a change he expected, and will also receive defensive tackle snaps in passing situations, according to Swinney.
With that position change in mind, an added emphasis on the weight room has been seen.
Peter Woods is shedding weight in hopes of losing 30 pounds in the offseason.
Listed at 315 pounds on his Clemson bio, the defensive lineman hopes to get closer to his high school playing weight of around 285 pounds. He says he almost there.
Dropping weight should help improve his pass rushing abilities even more, providing a new sense of quickness and agility. It doesn’t appear to have had any effect on his overall strength, though.
On Tuesday, he was filmed in the Tigers facility working out.
He squatted 700 pounds(!), with relative ease, to the cheers of his teammates.
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Peter Woods is a man on a mission this offseason. It won’t be long before we see this weight room dedication pay off on the football field.