College football teams hurt the most by 2023 NFL Draft departures
Another year, another NFL Draft, as the next generation of pro football talent makes the jump from the college football ranks to realize their dreams of playing Sunday football, leaving those who play on Saturdays with some work to do filling big holes on their rosters before the kickoff of the 2023 college football season.
Replacing your outgoing talent is an art that the big-time programs, coaches, and recruiters are expected to perfect, and some do it better than others. There are schools that rebuild, and those that reload, and it's the latter who usually contend for the College Football Playoff and the national championship.
More: Every pick made at the 2023 NFL Draft
Once again, much of that burden falls on superpowers in the SEC, which for the 17th straight year led the way among conferences at the NFL Draft, with 62 players selected overall, including 10 each from Alabama and Georgia.
Michigan paced the Big Ten, which was second nationally with 55 players drafted, coming out ahead of Ohio State, which tied with Penn State by having six players taken at this year's draft.
College football teams hurt the most by 2023 NFL Draft departures
Related: College football teams with most NFL Draft picks all time
Clemson
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Players drafted: 6
Need to know: Dabo Swinney has plenty of work to do rebuilding his ferocious defensive front seven after losing the last of that great line Brent Venables helped build, including tackle Bryan Bresee, end Myles Murphy, linebacker Trenton Simpson, and edge rusher K.J. Henry. Barrett Carter and Jeremiah Trotter project as one of college football's better linebacker pairings this season, while Xavier Thomas and Justin Mascoll step in on the edge, and Tyler Davis on the inside to help keep Clemson in the ACC title race.
Ohio State
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Players drafted: 6
Need to know: Not only do the Buckeyes have to replace star quarterback C.J. Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick by Houston, but they also have three spots on the offensive line to patch up after losing tackles Paris Johnson and Dawand Jones and center Luke Wypler.
The line didn't hold up too well during the spring game, and it's blocking for a quarterback who will be very limited on experience. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is gone, but OSU still boasts arguably the best WR room in college football, provided they can find a way to get them the ball.
USC
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Players drafted: 4
Need to know: Two key defensive contributors are gone as lineman Tuli Tuipulotu and cornerback Mekhi Blackmon turned pro, cutting into USC's already questionable ability to rush the passer and defend the deeper field, plus top wide receiver Jordan Addison is gone, as is guard Andrew Vorhees.
Notre Dame
Players drafted: 3
Only three Golden Domers went in the draft, but you could argue they were the three best players from last year's team: tight end Michael Mayer, edge rusher Isaiah Foskey, and safety Brandon Joseph, though transfer quarterback Sam Hartman should be a huge upgrade at the position when paired with one of college football's better offensive lines and running back rotations, and a solid bridge for Marcus Freeman to build what have been some quality recruiting gains in his short tenure.
TCU
Players drafted: 8
Need to know: College football's national title runners-up lost a pile of talent and experience including quarterback Max Duggan, receivers Quentin Johnston and Derius Davis, guard Steve Avila, tailback Kendre Miller, edge rusher Dylan Horton, and defensive back Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, in all eight total players, the third-most among all schools at this year's draft.
Alabama
Players drafted: 10
Need to know: Star quarterback Bryce Young and stud edge rusher Will Anderson were the No. 1 and No. 3 overall selections at this year's NFL Draft, but the Tide also lost safety Brian Branch, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, linebacker Henry To'o To'o and defensive back Jordan Battle, one of the biggest single talent departures in Nick Saban's time at the school, and leaving him with program-defining decisions to make at those positions while also installing two new coordinators and staring down Kirby Smart and Georgia in the fight to regain SEC supremacy.
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