On Friday, Clemson Football released the first episode of its official podcast, 2 Right Turns.

The debut episode featured defensive tackles coach Nick Eason, as well as defensive linemen T.J. Parker and Peter Woods, both of whom are coming off freshman All-American seasons in 2023.

Among other topics, Parker and Woods – both former top-50 national prospects from Alabama – discussed their college decision and why they chose Clemson.

“What led me to Clemson was the ability to support me off the field, in my dreams of doing things off the field,” Parker said. “There’s a lot of people in this building who are coaches on the field and off the field. I just think that everybody is like a people person, a family vibe — that’s what kind of drew me to Clemson. Everybody’s big on education. And my family, they’re sold to anybody who is worried about your education more than sports. And they’re the only school that stayed on top of me about my grades in high school. Because anybody who knows me, I’m smart, but I still need somebody to stay on top of me. So, Clemson was always that school that just kept reminding me to stay on top of it, stay on top of it, and when I had bad grades, they let me know where I’m at with them. In the end, when it came to decide where I was going, Clemson was the school.”

“I just love Clemson,” Woods added. “Clemson is just who I am. Like T.J., part of the reason I came to Clemson was really just because the family atmosphere and just feeling accepted, and knowing that when I came here, that it was just going to be bigger than ball.”

Woods and Parker also shared some advice for prospects going through the recruiting process and young men aspiring to get where Woods and Parker are today as Division I college athletes.

“It’s not really about the things that you do with the people when y’all are supposed to do it – it’s about the things that you do when you’re not supposed to be doing it,” Woods said. “And so, one thing that I tell them to do is, every time your team works out, you’re not the only one working out. Your teammates are working out with you. But what are you going to do to set yourself apart that your teammates aren’t doing to raise you above that level? Every day you’re doing something different, every day you’re doing something extra, and soon enough you’re going to look down and you’re going to be like, now you’re in elite company… That’s what I live, that’s how my parents raised me up – just what are you going to do extra, how are you going to set yourself apart?”

Added Parker: “For me, it’s more of ‘be you.’ A lot of times when you get the work in and you’re doing the extra stuff, you try to do it for everybody else or just for the glory of seeking approval from everybody else,” Parker said. “I feel like I tell the guys around that age, man, ‘Just stay down and do what you want to do, that makes sense for you.’ A lot of times, people get lost in the recruiting cycle — getting all the glory, getting all the love, getting all this extra attention when it comes to these different schools that may be false whenever you get on campus. I tell people all the time, look through all that and find what suits you and how you want to go about life. Because at the end of the day, when you’re going through this, you want to make sure you’re going to a school where you can squeeze the life out of the school instead of the school squeezing the life out of you. I tell parents that all the time – just take a (backseat) to your kid, let your kid experience all of the visit and the school, because at the end of the day, it’s where the kid gotta go and not where the parent has to go.”

Parker and Woods each made a major instant impact in their first year as a Tiger in 2023. Parker posted 41 tackles (12.5 for loss), 5.5 sacks, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery over 13 games (three starts), while Woods tallied 27 tackles (2.5 for loss) and a forced fumble across 12 games (two starts).

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