#17

Wade Woodaz

Former linebacker at Clemson. 2025: 70 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks.

LB · Clemson · Sr. · #17

6′3″ · 235 lb · Tampa, FL

CFB Index 53 · #264 of 583 LBsHigh confidenceDrafted by Houston — Rd 4, Pick 23, #123 overall

How he plays

Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles.

Solo tackles: 95th percentile.

The full scouting read

The numbers

tackles · 2025

7 TFL · 0.5 sacks · 3 PBU

Best game: 5 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 0.5 sacks, vs SMU

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former linebacker at Clemson. 2025: 70 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Clemson in 2022.
Drafted round 4 by the Houston in 2026.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Four seasons at Clemson, 183 tackles — drafted at #123 overall by Houston.

His career

Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.

20228 games

Signed with Clemson3-star out of Tampa Jesuit

2026

Drafted by Houstonround 4, pick 123

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#590 national

CFB

College

Clemson

2022–2025

NFL

NFL Draft

R4 · #123

Houston · 2026

Coaching lineage · 2022–2025

1 coach

2022–2025

Dabo Swinney

Clemson

Played his entire career under Dabo Swinney.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

Houston2026 NFL rookie season

#123Rd 4 · Pick 23

Houston2026 NFL rookie season

View college career stats ↓

2025 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

4 seasons under Dabo Swinney — 37-17 over that span.

2022Clemson11-3HC: Dabo Swinney · Run-leaning

2023Clemson9-4HC: Dabo Swinney · Balanced, fast tempo

2024Clemson10-4HC: Dabo Swinney · Balanced

2025Clemson7-6HC: Dabo Swinney · Balanced

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

53Rotational starter #264 of 583?

High confidenceFading6 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: solo tackles (95th percentile). Strength: tackles (91st percentile).

Box-score production (6)

Solo tackles#156 / 2975 · 95th pct

Tackles#268 / 2975 · 91st pct

Tackles for loss#277 / 2975 · 90th pct

7.0

Passes defended#517 / 2975 · 78th pct

QB hurries#634 / 2975 · 72nd pct

Sacks#1367 / 2975 · 51st pct

0.5

Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2025 season · 12 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home7g	6.4	0.8	0.1	0.3
Road5g	5.0	0.3	0.0	0.2

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-76g	6.5	0.3	0.0	0.2
Weeks 8+6g	5.2	0.8	0.1	0.3

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Dabo Swinney

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2025

Part-time starter

Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

53 · #264 of 583 LBs

Three-star recruit. Now #264 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2025	Clemson	70	43	7.0	0.5	3	--	--
2024	Clemson	75	37	8.5	3.0	4	1	--
2023	Clemson	26	15	6.0	4.0	--	2	--
2022	Clemson	12	5	3.5	1.5	1	--	--
Career		183	100	25.0	9.0	8	3	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 12 · 2025

W 20–19

at Louisville

1 TFL · 2 SOLO · 6 TOT

A wire-to-wire battle — won by 1 on the road.

With J. Smith — -13 rush yds (1 car) · C. Klubnik — 187 yds · 0 TD · 0 INT · QBR 32.6 · -6 rush yds (6 car)

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week