Why Clemson football sack leader TJ Parker is a rare freshman for Dabo Swinney
Syracuse had first-and-10 from its own 25-yard-line to start its second possession against Clemson football last week.
The first possession hadn't gone so well — quarterback Garrett Shrader had been hit hard by defensive end Justin Mascoll to force a fumble, which the Tigers recovered.
Thanks to freshman defensive end T.J. Parker, the second possession didn't go well, either. On that first-and-10, Parker went unblocked and got into the backfield to reach Shrader, bringing him down for a loss of seven yards. On the next play, Parker got past the right tackle to get in on a second straight sack alongside Tyler Davis. Syracuse ultimately went three-and-out on the drive.
Parker finished with a career-high two sacks. It was a statistical exclamation point on a strong five-game stretch in which the former four-star established himself as a key piece of Clemson's defensive front — both now and in the future.
Parker is leading Clemson in sacks with three and tackles for loss with 7.5. He'll have the chance to add to his total Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, ACCN) when Clemson (3-2, 1-2 ACC) hosts Wake Forest (4-1, 0-1).
The last true freshman to finish a season leading the Tigers in TFLs was defensive end Myles Murphy, who was selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals.
"You have to really have an abnormal level of maturity to be able to prepare and absorb and translate everything that's going on (as a freshman)," coach Dabo Swinney said Tuesday. "He's just a very mature, focused kid that you would never think is a freshman."
From an Alabama high school powerhouse to Clemson
Parker came to Clemson from Phenix City, Alabama, where he played for a perennial playoff team in Central High School. He was the No. 6 defensive lineman and No. 49 overall prospect in the class of 2023 according to 247Sports Composite.
Parker was originally committed to Penn State but decommitted in August of his senior year. He already had awareness of and interest in Clemson. Four Central alumni had recently gone to Clemson: Receiver Justyn Ross, safety Ray Thornton (now at USF), receiver E.J. Williams (now at Indiana) and safety Caleb Nix. Clemson was the first school Parker visited, but he hadn't gotten an offer before committing to the Nittany Lions.
When Parker announced his decommitment, he received some cryptic messages from a pair of fellow Alabama natives in the class of 2023: Quarterback Christopher Vizzina and defensive tackle Peter Woods, both of whom were committed to the Tigers.
"They hit me up with the eyes emoji on Instagram," Parker said. "I told them, 'I'm not even offered by (Clemson), but once I get it, I'm coming.' ... I texted (defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall) the eyes emoji, the same thing they texted me. We got in contact, and a few days later, they offered."
The offer came in September, and Parker committed to Clemson in November. A few months later, he was on campus as an early enrollee. He impressed coaches with how ready he was for the college level. Parker credits his coaches at Central for that.
"They did a good job of letting me know if you want to play big-time ball, you've got to prepare yourself for when the time comes," Parker said. "I've been preparing myself mentally and physically... working on my craft and trying to stay grounded, always trying to improve. They set a good foundation for me, and since I got here in January, it's been smooth sailing."
By preseason practices, Swinney revealed that not only was Parker ahead of his fellow freshman defensive ends, but he was competing for reps with incumbent starters Xavier Thomas and Justin Mascoll. Now, Swinney considers Parker a third starter, splitting reps with Thomas and Mascoll and even playing more snaps than them at times.
"We've seen a lot of great things from T.J. since he got here in January," Swinney said after the season opener against Duke. "We expected him to play well, and I think he's a guy that's got a bright future."
A look into Clemson defense's future
Parker and Woods are among the most impactful freshmen in a class that Swinney considers one of his best.
Woods was the star of the bunch in the lead-up to the season. The five-star from Alabaster, Alabama, arrived on campus at the same time as Parker and was touted as ready to play Day 1. He hasn't disappointed in his role alongside veterans Davis and Ruke Orhorhoro on the interior defensive line. Swinney said he's never had a freshman as physically strong as Woods.
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The combination of Parker and Woods, who are roommates and "best friends," bodes well for Clemson's future on defense. All four starters on the defensive line — Mascoll, Thomas, Davis and Orhorhoro — are super seniors, and the Tigers will have to replace them. Luckily for Swinney, Parker and Woods have been ready to step up since their arrival, and they're eager to take their places as stars together.
"We pull up (to the football facility) every day together, and we leave here every day together," Woods said in September. "That's just how we've been since we got here. That chemistry shows up on the field too."
Christina Long covers the Clemson Tigers for the Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. You can follow her on Twitter @christinalong00 or email her at clong@greenvillenews.com.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football: TJ Parker is sack leader, rare freshman for Tigers
