20 College Football Units with Significant Production to Replace in 2017
In the college football offseason, a senior-heavy roster complemented by talented juniors is considered a luxury. Both fans and analysts often spend the summer building up how the experience will be an invaluable asset during the next year.
But then, the (hopefully) successful campaign passes. The seniors graduate, and some underclassmen bolt for the NFL. There's a proverbial changing of the guard at the program.
The vast majority of programs deal with notable turnover. For the following 17 schools—three must address mass vacancies at multiple positions—it's an entire unit.
Teams like East Carolina, Navy, Texas A&M, Tulsa, Virginia Tech, Western Kentucky and Wyoming lost top contributors on offense, though it was either (or both) scattered throughout the unit or the team has a major player returning.
Offseason developments may further increase the amount of production lost, but graduation and NFL departures are the main focus. The list is organized alphabetically.
Air Force Secondary
1 of 17
Weston Steelhammer is a disappointing departure for college football's all-name team, but he was a superb safety, too. Air Force has much larger problems than Steelhammer, though.
Fellow starters Brodie Hicks, Jesse Washington and Roland Ladipo were all seniors. Top reserves Hayes Linn and Tyler Weaver exhausted their eligibility. Those six players nearly made up the secondary's entire rotation in 2016, posting 280 tackles and 14 interceptions.
Look for Marquis Griffin, Kyle Floyd, Robert Bullard and Ross Connors to be the leading replacement candidates.
Central Florida Secondary
2 of 17
Shaquill Griffin, D.J. Killings, T.J. Mutcherson and Drico Johnson helped UCF rebound from an 0-12 season that included the nation's 110th-ranked pass defense.
With the quartet leading the secondary, the Knights climbed to 6-7 and 28th, respectively. It amassed 228 tackles, broke up 34 passes and snatched 11 interceptions. Jeremy Boykins chipped in 14 tackles and three PBU as a reserve.
A combination of Nevelle Clark, Kyle Gibson, Tre Neal, Rashard Causey and Bam Moore could form the starting lineup.
Colorado Secondary
3 of 17
As if losing both defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt and cornerbacks coach Charles Clark to Oregon wasn't enough, Colorado must replace three members of "The Money Gang."
Chidobe Awuzie and Ahkello Witherspoon were outstanding in coverage, tallying 88 stops and a spectacular 33 pass breakups combined. Tedric Thompson roamed center field for the Buffs, notching 63 tackles with 16 PBU and seven interceptions.
Though Afolabi Laguda and Ryan Moeller—who often spent more time in run support than coverage—return, Colorado will be counting on Isaiah Oliver, Nick Fisher and others to supplant three NFL-bound defensive backs. That's no easy task.
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Illinois Defensive Line
4 of 17
Lovie Smith knew he was taking on a rebuilding project at Illinois, and the second graduating class only adds to the challenge.
Dawuane Smoot, Carroll Phillips, Gimel President, Chunky Clements and Rob Bain handled a majority of the snaps up front, but all five exhausted their eligibility last season. The linemen accounted for 219 tackles with 58 for loss and 23 sacks.
Jamal Milan, Tito Odenigbo, Kenyon Jackson and Henry McGrew offer the most experience for the Illini. Sean Adesanya, Owen Carney, James Crawford and Tymir Oliver are likely to earn playing time next season, too.
Iowa State Offensive Line
5 of 17
Iowa State has four places to fill on the offensive line. Nick Fett, Patrick Scoggins, Brian Bobek and Brian Seda were all seniors, and Jaypee Philbert Jr. transferred.
But the Cyclones have a uniquely promising outlook.
Julian Good-Jones is the only returning 2016 starter, but Jake Campos will return from a leg injury. Plus, Matt Campbell and Co. tapped the graduate transfer market. Iowa State brought in USC's Khaliel Rodgers and Michigan's David Dawson.
Robby Garcia, Bryce Meeker, Will Windham, Shawn Curtis and Sean Foster should round out the starting lineup and rotation.
Louisiana-Lafayette Linebackers
6 of 17
While edge-rusher Joe Dillon returns, Louisiana-Lafayette needs to replace its two leading tacklers and top three linebackers.
Tre'maine Lightfoot and Otha Peters combined for 197 total stops, including 18 behind the line of scrimmage with four sacks and four forced fumbles. The Ragin' Cajuns also lose Trey Granier (24 tackles) from the unit.
UL-Lafayette will turn to T.J. Posey and Alonzo Brown, but those are two massive holes—plus one meaningful depth spot—to fill.
Louisiana Tech Wide Receivers
7 of 17
Louisiana Tech brings back 75 receptions, 1,098 yards and eight touchdowns from wide receiver. Ordinarily, that's relatively good news. Ordinarily, offenses don't have Carlos Henderson and Trent Taylor putting up enormous numbers.
Henderson provided speed on the outside, grabbing 82 passes with an 18.7-yard average for 1,535 on the season. He scored 19 touchdowns. Taylor owned the slot, collecting 136 receptions for 1,803 yards and 12 more trips to the end zone.
The Bulldogs are in decent shape with Marcus Gaines, Kam McKnight, Alfred Smith and Tulane transfer Teddy Veal, but Henderson and Taylor were special talents.
Memphis Secondary
8 of 17
Memphis has the offensive potential to dominate the AAC, but the secondary needs to reload first.
Gone are corners Arthur Maulet, Chauncey Lanier, Dontrell Nelson and Jahmahl Pardner, who tallied 144 tackles, seven interceptions and 22 pass breakups. The Tigers also need to replace Chris Morley and Tye Northern—108 more stops—plus a depth piece in Deandre Jordan.
The Tigers will look to leading returning tackler Jonathan Cook to oversee a revamped starting lineup that may feature Shaun Rupert, Marcus Green and Tito Windham.
Miami Secondary
9 of 17
Although Miami is a unique case where the replacements might be an overall upgrade, the secondary still loses three key pieces.
Corn Elder, Rayshawn Jenkins and Jamal Carter were all multi-year contributors. Only Shaq Quarterman recorded as many or more tackles than the defensive backs in 2016. Plus, Adrian Colbert had earned a sizable role before injuries affected his season.
Granted, Jaquan Johnson was a starter last year and underclassmen Sheldrick Redwine and Malek Young received valuable snaps. Altogether, though, they still totaled just four more tackles (89) than Carter (85) notched himself.
The 'Canes will be banking on recently added FCS All-American Dee Delaney to solidify the defensive backfield.
Michigan Wide Receivers and Secondary
10 of 17
Jim Harbaugh is basically starting from scratch in 2017, especially at wide receiver and in the secondary.
Michigan leaned on Amara Darboh and Jehu Chesson last year, and Grant Perry is suspended indefinitely. Most of the production came via Darboh and Chesson, but that's 88-plus percent of the unit's receptions, yards and touchdowns. Throw in Jake Butt's contributions, and it's a complete rebuild for the pass-catching group.
Plus, the secondary will have a completely new look. Jourdan Lewis, Channing Stribling, Dymonte Thomas and Delano Hill were all starters. Jabrill Peppers, though technically a linebacker, spent plenty of time in coverage essentially as a nickelback. To make matters worse, the NCAA denied Jeremy Clark a sixth year.
While the offense hopes Eddie McDoom, Kekoa Crawford and a slew of well-regarded freshmen can build a functional rotation, the secondary has a relatively clear-cut top five with Lavert Hill, Brandon Watson, David Long, Tyree Kinnel and Khaleke Hudson.
North Carolina Running Backs
11 of 17
North Carolina's receiving unit could just as easily be featured on this list. Ryan Switzer, Bug Howard and Mack Hollins were all seniors, and the trio surpassed its combined 2015 numbers despite Hollins—a top-tier deep threat—missing six games.
At least the Tar Heels have a major contributor with Austin Proehl, though. The same cannot be said for the backfield, which has 1,894 total yards and 18 touchdowns leaving with Elijah Hood and T.J. Logan. Even their backup, Khris Francis, is gone.
Jordon Brown, who mustered 45 yards on 20 carries last year, will be tasked to spearhead an overhauled rushing attack.
Oklahoma Running Backs
12 of 17
Strictly considering the on-field talent, there isn't a tougher duo to replace than Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine.
The Oklahoma backs amassed 2,334 rushing yards, 47 catches, 644 receiving yards and 28 touchdowns last season. In 2015, Mixon and Perine collected 2,104 yards on the ground with 43 receptions, 463 yards and 28 scores.
Abdul Adams occupied a minor role as a freshman, but his 283 career yards are the most on the roster. The Sooners also have Rodney Anderson, three 2017 signees and perhaps fullback Dimitri Flowers to push Adams for regular carries.
Purdue Wide Receivers
13 of 17
To properly execute Jeff Brohm's spread system, Purdue must stockpile depth at receiver. Well, this isn't good timing.
Although tight ends Cole Herdman and Brycen Hopkins return, the Boilermakers' top four wideouts are gone. DeAngelo Yancey (49/951/10) paced the unit, while Bilal Marshall, Cameron Posey and Domonique Young combined for 108 catches, 1,171 yards and seven scores.
Gregory Phillips, Anthony Mahoungou and Malik Kimbrough offer the most experience, but it's not much. Terrance Landers and a receiver-heavy recruiting class will join the competition.
Utah Offensive Line and Cornerbacks
14 of 17
The good news is multiyear starter Salesi Uhatafe has one more season at Utah. The bad news is most everyone else does not.
Garret Bolles declared for the NFL draft, and the Utes must replace Isaac Asiata, J.J. Dielman, Nick Nowakowski and Sam Tevi. Uhatafe will be relied upon to command a revamped group that may include Jackson Barton and Lo Falemaka.
Utah has a similar problem in the secondary, which lost Brian Allen, Dominique Hatfield, Reggie Porter, Justin Thomas, Jason Thompson and early draft entrant Marcus Williams. It accrued 215 tackles, 21 pass breakups and 12 interceptions.
Junior safety Chase Hansen—if he doesn't move to linebacker—will guide the Utes' new starters.
Virginia Running Backs
15 of 17
Head coach Bronco Mendenhall is working on rebuilding Virginia's roster, and the greatest need for 2017 is a playmaker in the backfield.
Taquan "Smoke" Mizzell led the Hoos with 940 rushing yards and 52 receptions, accounting for 1,344 yards from scrimmage as a senior. Albert Reid scampered for 480 yards and six touchdowns during his final season in Charlottesville.
Virginia's leading returner is Jordan Ellis, who handled 14 carries and picked up 61 yards. He, along with Daniel Hamm and several freshmen, will attempt to fill 104.2 percent of the 2016 offense's rushing production. Yes, that's a real stat.
West Virginia Defensive Line and Secondary
16 of 17
West Virginia wants to crack the Big 12's top tier, but making the final step in 2017 will be a difficult task due to the massive changes in the front and back of its 3-3-5.
Noble Nwachukwu, Darrien Howard and Christian Brown have moved on. The linemen collected a total of 140 tackles with 18 stops for loss and nine sacks last season.
Kyzir White is the only returning starter in the secondary, which needs to replace Rasul Douglas, Maurice Fleming, Jeremy Tyler and Jarrod Harper. Antonio Crawford, Khairi Sharif and Nana Kyeremeh also exhausted their eligibility.
Adam Shuler will lead the defensive line, while Toyous Avery and Elijah Battle will attempt to headline the secondary with White.
Western Michigan Wide Receivers
17 of 17
Western Michigan put together its fantastic season behind Corey Davis, who finished off a stellar career. A top-five wideout in every major category for the history of college football, he collected 331 catches, 5,278 yards and 52 touchdowns.
Davis had a 97/1,500/19 line last season, but the Broncos lost even more. Michael Henry and Carrington Thompson combined for 105 receptions, 1,416 yards and 10 scores.
The remainder of the unit managed 19 catches, 145 yards and one touchdown. D'Wayne Eskridge, Keishawn Watson and Anton Curtis face a massive challenge in 2017.
All recruiting information via Scout. Stats from cfbstats.com or B/R research. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.
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