5 reasons Clemson will repeat as national champions in 2017

3. Returning defense will be elite

Like every elite team, the Clemson Tigers will be losing plenty of talent on both sides of the ball. However, for Clemson the defense won’t be hit quite as hard as it will for many other teams. Ben Boulware, Carlos Watkins, Cordrea Tankersley and Jadar Johnson will all be moving on, but they’ll be replaced by big-time talent.

The defensive line will be back and better than ever next season. Losing Watkins will hurt, but this unit is young and ranked second in college football in terms of sacks. Returning to this unit are Dexter Lawrence, Clelin Ferrell and Christian Wilkins, who combined for 34 tackles for loss and 16.5 sacks this season.

Lawrence was a true freshman and Ferrell was a redshirt freshman while Wilkins was a sophomore. Scott Pagano and Albert Huggins will combine to replace Watkins — the two combined for 7.5 tackles for loss and five sacks in limited action.

Kendall Joseph, the team’s second-leading tackler, and Dorian O’Daniel will return to an impressive linebackers unit. Boulware will be a tough loss, but they’ll be fine there.

The secondary, which allowed just 183 passing yards per game, is bringing back Van Smith and Ryan Carter but will have to replace Tankersley and Johnson. It’s safe to say they’ll reload with an elite recruiting class.

But Clemson’s defense should be top-tier once again.