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The 2019 defense loses a ton, and that's going to be one of the main storylines of this offseason.

But it's not nearly as bad as it could've been, and that could end up being the storyline that matters most in the end.

The decisions of Isaiah Simmons, K'Von Wallace and Tanner Muse to return were so big. We're not going to insult your intelligence by saying they were as big as the year-before choices of Christian Wilkins, Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant to return, but they could very well be vital in their own way.

The aforementioned defensive linemen were lavishly talented, and talent is important. But the intangibles were just as crucial, if not more so, as Clemson pursued a national title.