10 Most Difficult College Football Players to Replace in 2015 Season
The offseason can be a disappointing time for college football programs around the nation. When a year ends, key players run out of eligibility or star underclassmen declare for the NFL draft, leaving a noticeable hole on a team they once filled.
Organized by school, this list focuses on talents who—while they aren't necessarily irreplaceable—cannot be replaced without much difficulty.
Inclusion is not always the result of a single standout season, because overall contributions are the major factor. Oftentimes, the mentioned players hold career records at the school, in the conference or, most impressively, on the national level.
If you feel another player is deserving, please add the athlete in the comments section.
Note: Each player is accompanied by his respective standing on B/R NFL Draft Lead Writer Matt Miller's latest big board. Every reference to an "All-American" award reflects the AP teams.
Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
1 of 10
Every secondary knew Amari Cooper was getting the ball. The problem was no secondary—save for Arkansas'—could stop the first-team All-American wideout from getting the ball.
Cooper reeled in 124 passes for 1,727 yards and 16 touchdowns, which accounted for 42.8, 44.4 and 50.0 percent of the team's totals, respectively.
What's more, the Crimson Tide's top target owns every one of the program's game, season and career records for each of receptions, yards and touchdowns. Cooper also achieved a handful of SEC bests, for good measure.
Alabama must replace what was undoubtedly its best receiver in school history, and that's quite an honor for Cooper with guys like Ozzie Newsome (tight end), Julio Jones and Don Hutson, among others, to contend with.
Miller Big Board: No. 1 WR; No. 3 overall
Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
2 of 10
While posting a 100-yard output every week is highly unlikely for any receiver, the key is making every reception on a subpar yardage day count. Arizona State's Jaelen Strong accomplished just that during the 2014 campaign.
The junior wideout either caught touchdowns or racked up 100 yards—sometimes both, but never neither. For example, though Strong was held below the century mark four consecutive games in the middle of the year, he scored once in each contest.
However, Strong's biggest asset was being an elite red-zone target. Seven of his 11 catches inside the opponent's 20-yard line resulted in a touchdown.
Strong finished the season with 82 receptions for 1,165 yards and 10 scores.
Miller Big Board: No. 5 WR; No. 29 overall
Garrett Grayson, QB, Colorado State
3 of 10
Prior to the 2013 season, Colorado State had managed just one winning record since a 7-6 finish in 2003. With Garrett Grayson as a full-time starter, the Rams won eight and 10 games in 2013 and 2014, respectively.
The 6'2" gunslinger burst onto the scene as a junior, breaking the school record for single-season completions (297) and yards (3,696) while tying the touchdown clip (23). This year, he shattered two of his Colorado State bests, racking up 4,006 passing yards and 32 scores.
Grayson was named 2014 Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year and earned the program's No. 1 career ranking in every major passing category along the way.
According to Sports-Reference, Grayson owns the single-game FBS record for highest passing-efficiency rating at a stunning 320.29.
Miller Big Board: No. 5 QB; No. 108 overall
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Laken Tomlinson, OG, Duke
4 of 10
Laken Tomlinson arrived at Duke as an unheralded prospect, a 3-star according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. All that unsung talent did was leave Durham as a first-team All-American.
He immediately won a starting job and never surrendered the position, starting 52 consecutive games for the Blue Devils.
Tomlinson was tabbed a freshman All-American, twice named first-team All-ACC and received the Courage Award from the Football Writers Association of America.
The 6'3", 330-pound guard solidified himself as one of the nation's premier blockers in 2014 and is all but guaranteed to be selected in the upcoming NFL draft.
Miller Big Board: No. 6 OG; No. 134 overall
Justin Hardy, WR, East Carolina
5 of 10
When Justin Hardy first lined up on the outside for East Carolina, few could have predicted he'd shred opposing defenses for the most catches in Football Bowl Subdivision history.
He ultimately amassed 387 receptions—eclipsing Ryan Broyles' mark of 349—and racked up 4,541 yards, good enough for No. 3 in FBS history as well.
Hardy was a model of consistency, catching at least three passes in every collegiate performance and tallying five-plus receptions in 43 of his 49 career games. Additionally, the third-team All-American broke the 1,000-yard barrier three times and scored 35 receiving touchdowns.
The Pirates will be hard-pressed to capture another one of the NCAA's most prolific receivers ever again.
Miller Big Board: No. 11 WR; No. 91 overall
Brandon Scherff, LT, Iowa
6 of 10
Offensive linemen are rarely given enough credit for being the toughest players on the football field. Iowa left tackle Brandon Scherff epitomized the determination, fortitude and tolerance necessary to excel in the trenches.
Yes, tolerance; more specifically, of the pain variety. Scherff sustained a knee injury during an early-September outing against Ball State and was expected to miss a couple of weeks. He underwent meniscus surgery yet didn't miss a single game.
Scherff capped his first-team All-American senior campaign with the 2014 Outland Trophy, an award given to the nation's most outstanding interior lineman.
The Hawkeyes have produced a few NFL-caliber tackles, but replacing a nationally recognized left tackle isn't something easily done.
Miller Big Board: No. 1 OT; No. 8 overall
La'el Collins, LT, LSU
7 of 10
From freshman All-American to honorable mention All-SEC to second-team All-SEC to second-team All-American, La'el Collins steadily rose up the national awards system. From kickoff to final whistle, the 6'5", 321-pound left tackle absolutely manhandled his opponents.
The senior was perhaps the best run-blocker in the nation, opening lanes for Leonard Fournette, Terrence Magee and Kenny Hilliard in LSU's ground-heavy attack.
Collins was awarded the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, which is presented to a given conference's best offensive lineman. Overall, he compiled 38 starts over 45 appearances, logged 2,533 snaps and recorded 222.5 knockdowns.
In the not-so-distant future, Collins will provide relief for an NFL quarterback, likely protecting the blind side of a precious multimillion-dollar arm on a team that so desperately needs a dominant left tackle.
Miller Big Board: No. 2 OT; No. 14 overall
Rakeem Cato, QB, Marshall
8 of 10
Despite a formidable group of future NFL quarterbacks emerging from the league's ranks, playing the position in Conference USA is not a glamorous title. Rakeem Cato, however, consistently put on a show at Marshall.
An undersized athlete from South Florida, Cato toppled the Thundering Herd's career completions, yards and touchdown marks. He passed Marshall legends Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich in the process.
For his career, Cato ranks eighth all time with 14,079 passing yards and is tied for fourth with 131 touchdown passes.
Though the NFL may not be a realistic option for him, Cato departs the college ranks as one of the most electrifying quarterbacks in its history.
Miller Big Board: n/a
Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
9 of 10
Picture Oregon without Marcus Mariota—the Ducks are very likely still decent, but they're certainly not a national runner-up if the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner isn't on the field.
Mariota holds single-season and career program records for completions, passing yards, touchdowns and total offense. He tossed 105 scores compared to just 14 interceptions, a truly amazing ratio for someone who attempted 1,167 passes.
Plus, the first-team All-American ran for at least 700 yards in every season as a starter, tacking on 29 touchdowns to his already impressive resume.
Oregon has consistently plugged in a new quarterback to its fast-paced system, but matching the three-year efficiency of Mariota is a daunting task, to say the least.
Miller Big Board: No. 1 QB; No. 1 overall
Shaq Thompson, RB/LB, Washington
10 of 10
Characterizing Shaq Thompson with the phrase "absurd contributor" fails to do the versatile weapon justice. Apologies in advance for the sheer volume of career statistics, but he's worth the numerical headache.
During his career at Washington, Thompson logged 233 total tackles (15.0 for loss and 3.5 sacks), defended 16 passes, snagged five interceptions for 152 yards and two scores, forced three fumbles, recovered five and returned three for touchdowns.
Oh, and he played some offense, too. The 6'1", 233-pounder carried the ball 61 times for 456 yards and two scores, adding four catches for 56 yards.
Thompson was named a first-team All-American as an all-purpose player—and rightfully so. Not only will Washington have trouble filling his void, but Thompson is arguably the most difficult player to replace in the entire nation.
Miller Big Board: No. 1 OLB; No. 9 overall
Note: Stats courtesy of CFBstats.com and respective team websites.
Follow Bleacher Report college football writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR.
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