3 Tigers Ranked Among Top 15 Draft Prospects to Watch

CBS Sports ranked the top 50 draft-eligible prospects to watch during the upcoming college football season, and a trio of Clemson stars are ranked in the top 15 of the list.

Rising junior edge rusher T.J. Parker leads the way among those three Tigers, with Parker checking in at No. 8.

“Parker, originally from Alabama, completed an internship with the Beverly Hills (Calif.) Chamber of Commerce in 2024,” CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards wrote. “He holds the Clemson single-season record for forced fumbles (6) and the true freshman record for tackles for a loss (12.5).”

Fellow Clemson rising junior defensive lineman Peter Woods is also ranked in the top 10, as the No. 10 prospect to keep tabs on for the 2026 NFL Draft.

“Woods had a 12.2% pressure rate in 2024, per TruMedia,” Edwards wrote.

Meanwhile, Clemson redshirt junior wide receiver Antonio Williams landed at No. 15 on the list.

“Williams appeared in three state championships and lost only one game during his high school football career,” Edwards wrote. “He is 92 receptions away from being the career record-holder at Clemson and has caught at least one pass in each of the 33 games he has played.”

Parker and Woods were both projected as top-five overall picks in a recent 2026 NFL mock draft from Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports. Williams is also a top-10 pick in Wilson’s mock draft, while Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell and quarterback Cade Klubnik were both projected by Wilson as first-round picks as well.

Of course, Clemson will host LSU in the two teams’ 2025 season opener on Aug. 30, and six LSU players appeared in CBS Sports’ list of the top 50 draft prospects to watch this season — quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (ranked No. 7), linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. (No. 14), wide receiver Aaron Anderson (No. 36), linebacker Whit Weeks (No. 38), cornerback Mansoor Delane (No. 40) and offensive lineman Josh Thompson (No. 41).

As for other players Clemson is scheduled to face during the upcoming season, Duke cornerback Chandler Rivers is ranked as the No. 18 draft prospect to monitor, and South Carolina cornerback Jalon Kilgore is No. 28.

The 2026 NFL Draft will take place from April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.