T.J. Parker doesn’t have to look far to see what’s possible under Tom Allen.
Last season at Penn State, Allen helped mold edge rusher Abdul Carter into a unanimous All-American and the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Now in his first year leading Clemson’s defense, Allen is hoping to help Parker take a similar leap.
“Just like Abdul was able to have his best season of his career in his final year this past season, that’s what I expect T.J. to do this year,” Allen said during Clemson’s Media Outing this week.
Parker is coming off a breakout sophomore campaign, finishing with 64 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, and six forced fumbles. He became the only player in the nation to rank in the top 10 in all three categories, setting a new Clemson record for forced fumbles in a single season. His sack and TFL totals were the highest by a Tiger since Clelin Ferrell in 2018.
Allen sees a lot of the same traits in Parker that he saw in Carter just a year ago — a relentless motor, technical polish, and a nose for the quarterback.
“I think [Parker] has a knack to be able to position himself – great use of his hands, great leverage on offensive blockers,” Allen said. “His relentless effort to get to the quarterback is another thing that sticks out on film. His work ethic, I just love how he works.”
Allen says Parker’s technique keeps improving, and with veteran coaches around him and NFL expectations ahead, the stage is set for a huge season.
“He needs to have a great training camp, like they all do,” Allen said. “It’s about what you do on gameday… He had a great campaign a year ago, and he’s got to be able to elevate his game and keep getting better, and that’s what I expect him to do.”
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