This ESPN staffer is a big fan of one particular Clemson freshman standout.

Following Week 7 of the college football season, ESPN staff writer Bill Connelly penned a midseason reaction piece (subscription required) and in the article, he named his five favorite freshmen to this point in the 2023 campaign.

Clemson defensive end T.J. Parker came in at No. 3 on that list of freshmen that Connelly likes most so far, behind only Southern Cal wide receiver Zachariah Branch and Louisiana quarterback Zeon Chriss.

“After a quiet debut, the top-100 recruit has recorded 8.5 TFLs and four sacks in his last five games,” Connelly wrote of Parker. “He’s already the most productive Clemson defensive lineman, and, well, the bar’s typically pretty high for Clemson defensive linemen.”

After arriving on campus as an early enrollee back in January, Parker has made a huge immediate impact for the Tigers, posting 23 total tackles and six quarterback pressures with a team-high 8.5 tackles for loss and team-best four sacks. The Alabama native leads all freshmen nationally in tackles for loss.

Parker earned his first career ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week honor after posting five tackles (two for loss) and 2.0 sacks at Syracuse on Sept. 30, when he became the first Clemson true freshman with at least 2.0 sacks in a game since Myles Murphy’s 2.0 sacks in the 2020 season opener at Wake Forest.

The 6-foot-3, 255-pound Parker added five tackles (one for loss) with a sack in the Tigers’ most recent contest vs. Wake Forest on Oct. 7.

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