PFF College's top-graded USC defensive players in 2019

USC fans remained unsatisfied with the overall performance of the defense and coordinator Clancy Pendergast after the Trojans ranked a middling 66th in scoring defense (27.8 points per game allowed) and 83rd in total defense (415.2 yards per game) during the regular season.

It remains to be seen if head coach Clay Helton will make any staff changes after being retained following a prolonged decision from new athletic director Mike Bohn.

However that shakes out, one source of optimism for Trojans fans when it comes to the defense in 2020 should be the sheer percentage of key contributors returning and young players maturing.

USC will lose its leading tackler in linebacker John Houston (100 tackles) and veteran defensive end Christian Rector, and standout interior defensive linemen Jay Tufele and Marlon Tuipulotu are eligible to consider whether they want to declare for the NFL draft or return.

The status of those players -- particularly Tufele, who is more likely to have higher draft stock after being named a first-team Pac-12 All-Conference selection with 4.5 sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss -- will be pivotal, of course.

But it stands to reason both would benefit from returning in 2020, and if they do USC would be set to return nine defensive starters and numerous top reserves.

To put it a different way, the Trojans could return 13 of their top 14 leading tacklers, 10 of their top 11 leaders in sacks and 14 of their top 15 in pass breakups.

To break it down even more precisely, barring transfers or early draft entrants, USC could return 33 of its top 35 defensive players in terms of snaps played, according to PFF College. And with that young foundation getting a year older -- led by the likes of freshman defensive end Drake Jackson and a group of corners wrapping up their first or second years in the program, it seems reasonable to expect a good number of those players to show improvement in 2020.

With that said, we take a look at how they stacked up in 2019 in the final regular-season PFF College grades and advanced metrics.

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