Peter Woods, the 23rd ranked player in the nation in the class of 2023, as well as the 3rd ranked defensive lineman and the 4th ranked player in the state of Alabama, has surprised many with his commitment to play for Clemson over Alabama, Florida, and others this past Friday.
BREAKING: Five-Star DL Peter Woods has Committed to Clemson!
The Top 25 Player in the ‘23 Class chose the Tigers over Alabama, Jackson State, and Florida.
Clemson is bringing their momentum from June into July 🔥https://t.co/2EymrMv8gI pic.twitter.com/bVIMu6CUVY
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 8, 2022
Woods, an Alabaster native from Thompson high school has long been expected to choose to play for Nick Saban and Alabama. Growing up an Alabama fan and Thompson’s connection to the school including teammate Jeremiah Alexander’s commitment for this year’s freshman class were among reasons people felt Woods to Alabama was a sure thing for a while.
But Clemson gained momentum in the final weeks of Woods’ recruitment, with Woods himself even saying that he was all but certainly going to Alabama before his visit to Clemson. Woods stated that he believes Swinney is “more lively” and “more understanding of teenage life” than his counterpart Nick Saban.
While nothing is official until February 1st and National Signing Day, this is a huge recruiting win for Dabo Swinney and absolutely a blow to the Crimson Tide.