Clemson has been hunting for stability up front on both sides of the ball to open the 2026 season, and one transfer has quickly pushed his way into the conversation.
Fifth-year defensive tackle Devarrick Woods, who arrived in May after transferring from Texas State and began his college career at Hinds Community College in Mississippi, has turned a wide-open chance into a bigger role. He is now listed as a co-starter for Saturday’s game against North Carolina.
That rise has not gone unnoticed by Dabo Swinney. The Clemson coach spent part of the week praising Woods, pointing to the kind of force he’s been on film.
"Devarrick is a guy that, if you watch the tape, he was a problem," Swinney said on Tuesday. "I mean, he's got really good hands - he's got violent hands - he's got good technique, and he's relentless.”
Woods said hearing that kind of endorsement matters, even if confidence was already part of his makeup.
“It boosts confidence, definitely seeing all your hard work get noticed,” he said on Wednesday. “I’m already a confident person, but hearing that, it just gives you more confidence.”
The Bossier City, Louisiana, native showed flashes in Clemson’s loss to LSU two weekends ago, then followed that with a three-tackle outing and a split tackle for loss in the home opener against Georgia Southern. Since joining the Tigers in the summer, he has improved week by week, and Swinney expects that trend to keep going as conference play arrives.
Clemson has needed help in the middle after injuries and absences thinned the defensive line room. Transfers Kourtney Kelly and Markus Strong are out for at least most of the season, while Vic Burley was suspended to start the year and is still working his way back into the rotation. Burley is not expected to play much, if at all, against North Carolina.
That has created an opening, and Woods has stepped right into it. Swinney said he brings exactly the kind of edge Clemson wants in the trenches.
“He's got bad intentions out there,” Swinney said. “I mean, I like him, you know, again, kind of a quiet kid, but he plays loud, and I thought he was a real spark for us."
Woods didn’t argue with that assessment.
“Most definitely,” he said. “[I’m] trying to go make plays. I work as hard as I can every play.”
For Clemson, that spark may be arriving at the right time.
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