Clemson Football: 5 impact players for Tigers in national title game

Sure, the loss of Dexter Lawrence was a difficult one for the Clemson defense, but with several other future NFL standouts lined up in the trenches, the Tigers were able to flex their might and hold Notre Dame without a touchdown.

One of the main reasons for that was senior defensive end Austin Bryant, who had been relatively quiet in recent weeks. Bryant stepped up in a big way with the absence of Lawrence, leading the team with six tackles and two sacks. He also had a team-high three tackles for loss, as Clemson recorded six sacks and eight total stops behind the line of scrimmage.

Bryant had an All-American season as a junior with 15.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks, but those numbers dipped down a bit this year with more rotating in to get newcomers game action. With the biggest contest of the year here, though, the Tiger coaching staff relied on experience and Bryant delivered.