PFF's Top Returning Players Loaded with Clemson Tigers

The Clemson Tigers are preparing for a season full of College Football Playoff aspirations and, potentially, one of Dabo Swinney’s best teams he’s had during his tenure as head coach. A large reason why is the plethora of elite returning talent Clemson presents on both sides of the football.

Three Clemson players found themselves atop Pro Football Focus’s 2025 Top Returning Players at Every Position rankings, including quarterback Cade Klubnik, defensive lineman Peter Woods, and defensive end T.J. Parker.

Klubnik, currently holding the third-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy (+900), according to Fanduel, earned the top spot as PFF’s best returning quarterback. The senior signal-caller is set to build upon an outstanding breakout season in 2024, claiming an 87.7 PFF passing grade, ranking fifth among all FBS quarterbacks, and posting 36 touchdowns with just six interceptions.

No. 1 overall draft pick Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders were the only players to pass for more touchdowns last year with 39 and 37, respectively.

In comparison, Klubnik found the endzone 19 times and threw nine picks in 2023, finishing with a 63.9 PFF passing mark, good for 102nd in the nation.

After making monster strides in 2024, the former five-star will look to solidify himself as one of the best – if not the best – quarterbacks in college football while also hoping to take Clemson to heights fans haven’t witnessed in years.

Junior Peter Woods headlined PFF’s best returning interior defensive lineman, beating out Penn State’s Zane Durant and Alabama’s Tim Keenan III for the top spot. Although the 6-foot-3, 315-pounder spent most of last season out of position on the edge, Woods received an impressive 83.3 PFF grade and ranks as the highest-rated and most valuable Power Four returning defensive tackle, according to PFF’s Wins Above Average metric.

During his two seasons at Clemson, Woods earned an 89.7 run-defense grade and a 14.9% pass-rush win rate. The Alabaster, Ala. native leads all returning Power Four interior defenders and is expected to be a top 10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, according to CBS Sports.

Likely joining him in the first round of the draft is junior T.J. Parker, who PFF ranked as the third-best returning edge defender this season. The lone two players ahead of Parker are Colin Simmons from Texas and South Carolina’s Dylan Stewart, who are both fresh off of spectacular freshman seasons.

The former blue-chip recruit hit the ground running when he arrived to campus, breaking Clemson’s true freshman record with 12.5 tackles for loss and earning Freshman All-American honors in 2023. He set another program record for forced fumbles with six in 2024.

Parker’s 12 sacks last season led all returning edge rushers and contributed to an 80.0-plus PFF grade as both a pass rusher and run defender.

Klubnik, Woods, and Parker will look to lead their loaded arsenal of Tigers to another CFP berth in 2025, but their eyes remain set on a much larger goal: a national championship.

And they have all of the pieces necessary to do so.