It isn’t dependent on any one player. Our great defenses in the past have all hinged on one player staying healthy. This defense is different. If we lost Barton or Bishop (both amazing players) our defense would still be dominant. Every one of our starters is good enough to be All Pac-12, and their backups are as well for the most part.
THAT is IMO what makes this defense so freaking good. We have multiple great players in every position.
In the past if we lost a Weddle, Lloyd, Johnson, or Blackmon we would have been exposed. Our defense this year is good enough to compensate for such a loss. Heck, we’ve been dominant and our defense hasn’t been close to 100% healthy at any point so far this season.