By Matt Osborne
SouthernPigskin.com

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Though Clemson returns just four starters on defense, the Tigers are confident that will have a productive defensive unit in 2015.

It almost certainly would come as a surprise to many hardcore college football fans that the nations top defensive unit last season belonged to the Clemson Tigers.

A mere two years removed from finishing in the bottom half of the ACC in total defense, the Tigers, led by noted defensive coordinator Brent Venables, became one of the most feared defensive teams in the country during the 2014 season. Led by a dominant defensive line, Clemson allowed less than 261 yards and 17 points per contest.

The elite defensive production which the Tigers generated came from a collection of players that was equal parts athletic and experienced.

Unfortunately for Venables and head coach Dabo Swinney, just four starters return from last years unit, giving the Tigers one of the least experienced defenses in the conference.

After the losses of standout defensive linemen Vic Beasley, Grady Jarrett and Corey Crawford, Clemson will be relying upon senior defensive tackle D.J. Reader to step up and provide some much-needed leadership for an overall inexperienced group.

And though many experts are expecting the Tigers to take a significant step back on the defensive side of the football this season, Reader and his teammates remain confident that they will be able to shock national analysts during the fall.

x9cI say the sky’s the limit for this defense,x9d Reader commented at the ACC Kickoff in Pinehurst. x9cLike I said, as a defense and a team, we don’t back away from any challenges. There’s a chip on our shoulders from a lot of doubters out there. We’ve been prepared. Those guys who left prepared us to come in and step up. We don’t think about we lost all these guys. We think about next man up.x9d

The good news for the Tigers in the face of the mass exodus of starters on defense is the fact that the program has recruited at an exceptionally high level over the past five seasons.

Experience may be an issue early in the season.

Talent, however, will not be a similar concern.

At the end of the day, Clemsons defensive players are actually hopeful that a decrease in expectations from the outside will allow the unit to play with less pressure during the fall. That loose playing style, they hope, will result in further positive results.

x9cI don’t think we feel pressure much as a team,x9d Reader continued. x9cI think being the best is something that we were excited about last year. We really know what it takes to get there. We’re just excited to really go to work and get back there again this year.x9d

Playing opposite an offense which appears poised to be one of the nations best in 2015, whether or not Clemson is ultimately able to win the ACC championship, as projected by the media, will likely come down to how well the defense will play.

The names will largely be unfamiliar to college football fans watching from home, but the Tigers feel confident that they have a defense talented to make the team a legitimate playoff contender this fall.