Alabama Makes Top Four for Five-Star DL Peter Woods

The in-state defender is one of the Crimson Tide's biggest targets in the 2023 class.

While football recruiting offers a different kind of March madness than the one found on the basketball court, Alabama still has plenty of reason to celebrate making a highly-coveted final four. Five-star defensive lineman Peter Woods included the Crimson Tide in his top four schools Thursday along with Clemson, Florida and Oklahoma.

Woods, 6-foot-3, 259 pounds, is rated as the No. 28 overall player and No. 3 defensive lineman in the 2023 class, according to the 247Sports Composite. Last season, he helped Thompson High School to its third consecutive Alabama 7A state championship, recording 11 sacks and 26 tackles for a loss. The Alabaster, Ala., native has visited Alabama several times and is thought to be a Crimson Tide lean.

“Alabama just has their way,” Woods told BamaCentral of Alabama last fall. “Their resume just speaks for itself," Woods said. "Even without them saying anything, everyone knows they’ve already done what other schools are pitching to you, like ‘We’re going to do this, or we’re going to do that,’ they’ve already proven it.”

Woods is one of a handful of five-star talents in the state of Alabama. The Crimson Tide already landed one of those in defensive back commit Jahlil Hurley. Alabama is also heavily in the mix for Montgomery defensive lineman James Smith as well as Woods’ high school teammate, defensive back Tony Mitchell.

Earlier this week Mitchell included Alabama in his top five along with Florida, Georgia, Oregon and Texas A&M. Woods and Mitchell are former teammates with Crimson Tide freshmen Jeremiah Alexander and Tre’Quon Fegans.

Alabama brought in four defensive linemen in this year’s class, including SI99 members Jaheim Oatis (No. 67 overall) and Khurtiss Perry (No. 82 overall) as well as four-star prospect Isaiah Hastings. 

Gallery: Peter Woods

Class of 2023 defensive lineman Peter Woods
Peter Woods' Instagram, peterwoods.11
Peter Woods, a 2023 defensive lineman from Alabaster, Alabama, before the game with Clemson and Boston College in Clemson, S.C. Saturday, October 2, 2021.
Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK
2023 DL Peter Woods, Thompson (AL)
Peter Woods (Twitter)

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Tony Tsoukalas
TONY TSOUKALAS

Tony Tsoukalas has been covering Alabama since 2016, working for the Anniston Star and Rivals before joining BamaCentral. A native of The Woodlands, Texas, Tsoukalas attended the University of Alabama from 2008-12. He served as the sports editor of the student paper, The Crimson White, during his senior year. Before covering Alabama, Tsoukalas covered high school sports at The Meridian (Miss.) Star and the Victoria (Texas) Advocate. He also served as a copy editor for The Tuscaloosa News.