Clemson Football: 3 bold predictions vs. Georgia Tech in Week 1

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SANTA CLARA, CA – JANUARY 07: Damien Harris #34 of the Alabama Crimson Tide is tackled by Isaiah Simmons #11 of the Clemson Tigers during the second half in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Levi’s Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

1. Despite losses across the line, defense will dominate

This team lost a boatload in the 2019 NFL Draft, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The defensive line took the biggest hit of all, losing Clelin Ferrell, Christian Wilkins and Austin Bryant. Those guys will not be easy to replace, but Clemson — much like Alabama — simply reloads after they lose big names like those. No time to dwell on the past.

Look for the defensive line to be a big part of this win as well as the grouping of linebackers.

Isaiah Simmons, the team’s leading tackler in 2018, returns to defend his crown in 2019 and will get off to a big start on Thursday as the team’s leading tackler in game one. Linebacker was a major emphasis in the last recruiting class, so the group is young but they are extremely talented.

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No matter what worries you have about that defensive line, the secondary for the Tigers is outstanding. There is depth and there is a whole lot of talent just waiting for their turn thanks to a couple great recruiting classes by Dabo Swinney and company.

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