Without a doubt, if the Tigers hope to contend for the National Championship in 2025, the Clemson defence must get better. Tiger fans were thrilled to hear the news on Friday because of this. T.J. Parker, a standout defensive end, declared on X that he plans to rejoin Clemson in the autumn. In an article with a.A GIF of Roman Reigns, a professional wrestler for the WWE, declaring, “The Big Dog is Bback” provided Clemson’s offseason a boost.
In 2024, as a sophomore, the Alabama native was the Tigers’ most disruptive defensive force. He made 64 tackles with 19.5 for loss. What’s more, he led the team with 11.0 sacks while forcing a program-record six fumbles.
Parker’s tackles for loss total and sack total were both the most by a Clemson Tiger since Clelin Ferrell’s 19.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks in 2018. Starting every game in the 2024 season, he earned second-team All-ACC recognition.
With 32 tackles and 5.5 sacks in 2023, Parker was among the top freshmen in the country. That confirmed his ranking as the sixth-best defensive tackle in the class of 2023 and a four-star recruit. In 2024, Clemson excelled as a team at pursuing opposing quarterbacks. The Tigers finished 26th in the country in sacks per game (2.6), mostly due to Parker’s valiant efforts. With 5.0 sacks, true freshman inside linebacker Sammy Brown was the next closest player on the roster to Parker. Parker’s importance to the defence this season was demonstrated by the fact that Barrett Carter, the next closest defensive lineman or edge rusher in sacks, had 3.0.
In fact, Parker was responsible for 31.4% of Clemson’s 35 total sacks in 2024. That makes him one of the program’s most important returnees in 2025.
Of course, the Tigers must get better against the run, a fact that was underscored in the College Football Playoff loss to Texas. But defending the pass is always going to be of critical importance as well in the modern era of the game and by having Parker in the mix for another season, the Tigers should be able to put ample pressure on opposing signal callers again next fall as they look to return to the top of the college football mountain.
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