On his Always College Football show, ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy gave the top 10 second-year players that he’s most excited about heading into the upcoming season.
Clemson defensive end T.J. Parker checked in at No. 4 on McElroy’s list.
A former national top-50 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, Parker was a Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year semifinalist and freshman All-America selection by numerous outlets last season, when he was credited with 41 tackles (12.5 for loss), 5.5 sacks, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery in 457 snaps over 13 games (three starts).
Parker’s 12.5 tackles for loss were a school record for a true freshman, breaking the previous mark of 12.0 by Myles Murphy in his debut campaign in 2020. The 6-foot-3, 255-pound Parker tied with Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. for the national lead in tackles for loss by freshmen, and Parker was credited by the coaching staff with 10 quarterback pressures, tied for third-most on the team.
“So much was made last year about the addition of Peter Woods. We had talked all offseason, hey Peter Woods, the next great defensive tackle for the Clemson Tigers. Well, yeah, Peter Woods barely missed this list, probably in large part due to the way T.J. Parker constantly impacted games,” McElroy said. “He led all true freshmen with 11 tackles for loss in the regular season, with five sacks and 30 total tackles. I also think he’s pretty dang good against the run. So to be a young guy that’s that good against the run and can attack off the edge, the sky’s the limit for T.J. Parker moving forward.
“And that defense for Clemson, I think they’ll be one of the tops in college football, especially taking into account all of the other true freshmen that played on that defense in a primary role. Narrowly missed (safety) Khalil Barnes, narrowly missed Peter Woods, narrowly missed (cornerback) Avieon Terrell. But T.J. Parker did make the list and he made the top four. So, you’ve got four guys on the Clemson defense that could have probably made at least a strong argument to be in the top 10 second-year players coming into 2024.”
Here is McElroy’s list of the top 10 second-year players he can’t wait to watch in 2024:
10. Anthony Colandrea, Virginia QB
9. Abu Sama III, Iowa State RB
8. Jahiem White, West Virginia RB
7. Kadyn Proctor, Alabama OL
6. Anthony Hill, Texas LB
5. KC Concepcion, NC State WR
4. T.J. Parker, Clemson DE
3. Zachariah Branch, Southern Cal WR/RS
2. Rueben Bain, Miami DE
1. Caleb Downs, Ohio State S
You can check out McElroy’s commentary on each of those players below:
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