This Clemson Tigers star has NFL scouts befuddled.
Heading into the 2025 college football season, Clemson Tigers defensive tackle Peter Woods was widely viewed as a potential top-five pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
That has changed rather significantly over the last several months.
Thanks to a disappointing final season at Clemson, Woods' stock has plummeted, so much so that some mock drafts have him tabbed as a second-round pick.
Woods registered 30 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a couple of sacks this past year, rather underwhelming numbers for a so-called elite prospect.
But there is also no denying Woods' talent and potential.
In fact, ESPN's Matt Miller has now reported that the 21-year-old is the most polarizing player in this year's draft class.
"Talking to scouts post-Combine, the biggest variance in player value I've heard is on Clemson DT Peter Woods," Miller posted on X. "Some see him top 15. Others see him solidly Day 2."
No one views Woods as a top-five selection anymore, but the fact that there is still so much range in his projections is wild.
Peter Woods. Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.Woods is part of a strong defensive tackle draft class that also includes names like Florida's Caleb Banks, Texas Tech's Lee Hunter, Ohio State's Kayden McDonald and Florida State's Darrell Jackson, among others.
Both Banks and Hunter have seen their respective draft stocks surge over the last couple of months, which is bad news for Woods, who is no longer the consensus No. 1 defensive tackle on draft boards.
In fact, many now have Banks — who had a very limited track record on the collegiate level — ahead of Woods.
Woods arrived at Clemson in 2023 and logged 26 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss as a freshman. The former four-star recruit then tallied 28 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and three sacks in 2024, putting himself on the map as a top NFL prospect.
Now, questions about Woods' inconsistency persist, and he also does not have elite size for an interior defender. He does, however, boast tremendous athleticism, which is what makes him such a tantalizing young player.
Chances are, a team will take a chance on Woods' potential in the first round next month, but at this point, it wouldn't be a complete shock if he fell to Day 2.
Clemson Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Clemson Tigers. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.