Two Clemson defenders projected as 2025 All-Americans by On3 Sports

There is no question that the focus of the Clemson football team's offseason has been revamping the program's defense. Next fall, if that side of the ball can match what is expected to be an elite Clemson offense, then it would not be unreasonable to view Dabo Swinney's next team as a true National Championship contender.

While much of the hype surrounding the 2025 Tigers has centered on the offense, On3 Sports is projecting two Clemson defenders as potential All-Americans. In an article (behind a paywall) by Ari Wasserman, Clemson linebacker Sammy Brown and Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods are listed as way-too-early 2025 All-Americans.

They are the only two defensive players from the ACC to make Wasserman's list. What's more, the only other ACC player Wasserman projects to be an All-American next season is Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa.

Last season, Brown was a revelation as a true freshman. The former 5-star high school signee was credited with 87 tackles (11.5 for loss) and 5.0 sacks in 14 games played. Though he started only six games, he was still productive enough to earn freshman All-American honors. In fact, his 87 tackles as a freshman were the most by a Clemson freshman since Anthony Simmons' freshman-school-record 150 tackles in 1995

Meanwhile, Woods was a sophomore in 2025 when he started 10 games and amassed 28 tackles (8.5 for loss) and 3.0 sacks. In two seasons as a Tiger, he's been credited with 54 total tackles.

Of course, much of the optimism surrounding the 2025 Clemson defense centers around the arrival of new defensive coordinator Tom Allen. As the Penn State defensive coordinator in 2024, he led the Nittany Lions' defense to the No. 7 overall ranking in total defense (294.8 yards per game) and No. 8 overall ranking in scoring defense (16.5 points per game).

What's more, he helped bring the best out of star pass rusher Abdul Carter, who Allen moved from linebacker to defensive end. That change resulted in Carter racking up 12.0 sacks and 24.0 tackles for loss last fall. Now, Carter is projected to be one of the first defensive players taken in April's NFL Draft.

While Allen likely won't move Brown or Woods to a new place in his defense, he could bring a new perspective on how to deploy them to maximize their skill set. Thus, both Clemson defensive stars could take a big step forward in productivity under Allen.

Of course, the entire Clemson defense needs to improve after finishing last season at just No. 69 in total defense (374.1 yards per game) and No. 42 in scoring defense (23.0 points per game). While those numbers were not atrocious, they aren't good enough to lift the Tigers to the level of a National Championship contender.

However, if both Brown and Woods are in the mix for All-American honors next season and other Clemson defensive standouts like T.J. Parker and Wade Woodaz also thrive under Allen's guidance, then the Tigers could show massive improvement on the side of the ball that was their Achilles' heel in 2024. Then, pairing that type of defense with what most people believe will be a lethal Clemson offense could set the Tigers up to make some serious noise in the College Football Playoff.