Perhaps the biggest area of concern for Clemson following last season was special teams.
The Tigers returned a loaded offense led by Deshaun Watson, and Brent Venables had already proven he could rebuild a defense in an offseason.
But Clemson’s special teams needed major work.
In 2015 the Tigers ranked No. 115 in kickoff return defense, 52nd in kickoff returns and 122nd in punt returns.
The issues did not prove to be costly in the first 14 games of the season as Clemson entered the national championship undefeated, but in the title game struggles on special teams greatly contributed to Alabama’s win.