Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods spoke with reporters this week at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

Woods was asked about the difference in his production from his sophomore season in 2024 to his junior campaign in 2025.

As a sophomore, Woods split time between defensive tackle and defensive end, recording 8.5 tackles for loss and three sacks over 11 games while playing under former Clemson defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin. As a junior under first-year Clemson defensive coordinator Tom Allen, Woods posted only 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks across 12 games.

Explaining his dip in production, Woods pointed to a number of different factors — including having “a lot more versatility” within the defensive scheme in 2024, as well as having more “dawgs” around him on the defensive line in 2025, and him being a focal point of opposing offenses trying to stop him.

“I think in 2024, I had a lot more versatility within the scheme,” Woods said, via Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer. “But we brought in Will Heldt, who’s a dog. Crazy production for us. And I think a lot of it was just having those dawgs around me — T.J. Parker, Will Heldt, DeMonte Capehart, Stephiylan Green. And just having that year in ‘24 made me, for opposing offenses, nightmares when it’s time to gameplan. You’re hearing stuff like that on the field, on-field communication and stuff like that, triple-teams, double-teams. You’ve heard this story. But I would really just attribute it to the people I’ve got around me making amazing plays.”

Despite the drop in production on paper in 2025, Woods was still a first-team All-ACC selection by the league, the AP and Phil Steele, as well as a second-team All-American, per the AP, Steele and USA Today. He was also a freshman All-American in 2023.

In his three-year career as a Tiger from 2023-25, Woods was credited with 99 tackles (14.5 for loss), five sacks, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups over 35 games, including 24 starts.

Longtime ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. recently discussed Woods as being a potential 2026 NFL Draft “steal.” Kiper pointed out that before the 2025 season, Woods was bandied about as a possible “top-five pick overall,” and now, he’s being viewed as a “late-first, early-to-mid second round” selection.

Kiper’s updated NFL Draft Big Board rankings slot Woods as the third-best defensive tackle in this year’s draft class.