Clemson Football Spring Game 2017: 5 things to watch for

4. Will the Defensive Front Dominate As Expected?

Seemingly the most sure thing about Clemson as they begin their National Championship defense is, well, their defense. More specifically, the Tigers have one of the best defensive fronts in football returning with hopes of dominating once again in the trenches. Yes, the loss of Carlos Watkins to the NFL draft is obviously going to be felt to some degree. But when you have the talent on the defensive line that the Tigers do, the effects shouldn’t be too detrimental.

The key word in that final clause is “shouldn’t,” though. For better or worse, college football is exceptionally fluid and ever-changing when it comes to expectations. Time and again there are players and units that are hyped up in the preseason that only wind up disappointing (there is also the vice versa situation that’s frequent, for what it’s worth). Whether it’s crumbling under the pressure of expectations or simply being over-hyped, it’s a common occurrence.

Subsequently, the Tigers’ defensive front needs to show that they are the real deal and aren’t going to be another letdown in college football. Clelin Ferrell, Dexter Lawrence and Christian Wilkins were beastly a year ago, but they need to be that and more. The 2017 Clemson Football Spring Game will afford them the opportunity to show that early on. If they do, the rest of the country should be quivering a bit at the thought of facing them.