More than 100 underclassmen opted to submit their names to the 2023 NFL Draft ahead of the deadline to enter which passed on Monday. While players have until Thursday to remove their names before the official list is announced on Friday, the declarations allow us an opportunity to look to the future of many top programs.
Eight of the top 10 players in the 2023 CBS Sports NFL Draft Prospect Rankings are early-entry candidates, with the top two coming from the same school: Alabama. College football is a sport marked by transition, but losing production unexpectedly can ultimately swing national championship hopes.
Here are 10 programs that were hit hardest by early entries to the 2023 NFL Draft, including three of four College Football Playoff participants and beginning with a Sugar Bowl filled with defections.
1. Alabama
As college football’s top NFL factory, Alabama will always rank near the top of these lists. Still, the 2023 class is a massive blow, even by Crimson Tide standards. Heisman-winning quarterback Bryce Young and national defensive player of the year Will Anderson represent one of the best pairings that Nick Saban has ever had on a single team as both project to be top-three picks. Safety Brian Branch and running back Jahmyr Gibbs were also major contributors. Mixing the losses with graduations of starters like Emil Ekiyor, Henry To’oTo’o and Jordan Battle makes this one of the biggest exoduses of talent in the Saban era.
The Wildcats only lost two underclassmen to the NFL Draft, but both were game-changers for the program. Running back Deuce Vaughn trails only Darren Sproles for most career rushing yards and posted nearly 5,000 yards from scrimmage and 43 touchdowns in just three seasons. Defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah posted more than 20 sacks in his career and earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors during the Wildcats’ Big 12 title campaign. Replacing both players will be a difficult task.
The last superstars of the Brent Venables defensive line era are out the door as defensive linemen Myles Murphy and Bryan Bresee joined senior K.J. Henry in the NFL Draft. The trio has combined for 79 tackles for loss and 40 sacks in their careers, leaving Dabo Swinney with massive holes to fill at edge rusher. Linebacker Trenton Simpson is also a potential first-round pick.
Losing quarterback C.J. Stroud and a pair of starting offensive linemen –…
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