The Clemson football program did not get what it wanted from its offense in its Week 1 college football game against Georgia Tech. However, the Tigers got everything they wanted from their defense and special teams against the Yellow Jackets. Let's look at the best Clemson football players from Clemson Georgia Tech, in the first week of the college football season. Dabo Swinney had to love what he saw from these specific players.

Clemson football standouts vs. Georgia Tech: Bryan Bresee

Clemson football has a star-studded defense. Bresee is part of it. Though he registered only four tackles for the Tigers against Georgia Tech in Week 1, it has to be noted that Bresee is getting a ton of attention from opposing offenses. His presence at defensive tackle demands it. Because Bresee is such a central focus of opposing offensive coordinators, that frees up his teammates to make more plays, which is exactly what we saw on Monday against Georgia Tech. Bresee's impact goes far beyond the box score. That said, he did make two tackles for a loss and had half a sack.

Barrett Carter

The beauty of the Clemson defense lies in the reality that there are excellent players at each level of the defense. This unit doesn't look to one or two guys for big plays. There are several playmakers in this group. Carter is one of them. The linebacker notched seven solo tackles to lead the Tigers against Georgia Tech. One of those tackles was for a loss. The Clemson defensive line is so good at preventing an opposing offensive line from getting any upfield push or carving out running lanes for running backs. This puts Carter and the other linebackers in a position to succeed, but let's be clear: Carter was on top of his game against Georgia Tech, reading plays and sensing the flow of action to be in the right place at the right time.

Trenton Simpson

This might be the defensive player a lot of NFL draft analysts and film study geeks are really excited about. Simpson is agile and explosive in his movements. This gives him an above-average ability to close down gaps and finish tackles. Simpson made six solo tackles for the Tigers, second on the team against Georgia Tech. He will be a fun linebacker to watch as this season unfolds in the Palmetto State.

Clemson Georgia Tech star: K.J. Henry

The defensive end was all over the field for the Tigers against the Yellow Jackets. He collected seven tackles, two and a half of them for a loss, and added a sack. His impact rippled through the rest of the game. Georgia Tech felt the full force of his abilities, and the Yellow Jackets truly had no solution for Henry all night long in Atlanta.

This is the depth and balance of the Clemson defense on display. Someone in the front seven makes an impactful play on nearly every snap. Some players will draw the focus of the defense, others will clean up. All of these Clemson football players are well-schooled on the defensive side of the ball. They also know they need to be leaders on a team whose offense is likely to continue to struggle. Giving up only 10 points to Georgia Tech is the dominant display the Tigers and Dabo Swinney needed in their Monday night Week 1 college football showcase.