The 2023 NFL Draft has concluded, but how will college football teams like Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Ohio State and more replace the first-round picks?
The 2023 NFL Draft has come and gone with all 259 selections being made. Now, the majority of the discourse is revolving around how former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young will look with the Panthers, how former Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud can fare with the Texans, how dominant Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter can be with the Eagles, and so on.
What is less talked about, however, is the college football implications of this. We marvel at teams like Georgia under Kirby Smart or the Alabama dynasty under Nick Saban because of their ability to replace high-end NFL talents and still succeed. It's the art of winning and doing so consistently in college football.
Obviously, in most situations, college football programs have the ability to fill the holes for draft picks. However, it's how well teams can replace those draft picks, specifically the best ones, that will determine what the college football landscape will look like. That's particularly important with replacing the best players in the draft class, specifically the first-round picks.
So who will step up and replace the first-round picks from Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Texas, Tennessee, TCU, Florida and many more? Let's take a look at the situations to replace each in the 2023 college football season.
College Football: Replacements for every first-round pick in 2023 NFL Draft
1. Alabama football replacement for Bryce Young (Panthers): Ty Simpson? Tyler Buchner? Jalen Milroe?
We knew that Nick Saban would be moderating a quarterback battle at Alabama this offseason with Bryce Young's departure. We had no idea it would go the direction it has to this point.
Ty Simpson and Jalen Milroe were expected to duke it out for the right to be QB1 in Tuscaloosa and were both given that opportunity in the spring. After middling reports from practice and a spring game performance from both that sent the fan base into panic mode, though, the Crimson Tide had to turn to other options.
Where they landed was a familiar face for new offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, Tyler Buchner, who transferred from Notre Dame soon after the Irish's spring game and chose Bama.
Buchner isn't going to be handed the starting job, even with his familiarity with Rees. After all, this is a quarterback who struggled in limited time as the Notre Dame starter a year ago. Having said that, he exemplifies the uncertainty in how Alabama plans to make up for the loss of a generational quarterback to the draft with Young now in Carolina.
2. Ohio State football replacement for C.J. Stroud (Texans): Kyle McCord, probably
Though we don't have official word from Ohio State head coach Ryan Day on who the starter will be in Columbus with C.J. Stroud now on the Texans, all of the signs point to Kyle McCord stepping into that role.
McCord was a former 5-star recruit who was the QB2 on the depth chart behind Stroud for the past two seasons, speaking to his experience within the program. Moreover, while he wasn't overly impressive in the Buckeyes' spring game, he drew far more favorable reviews than his biggest competition, Devin Brown, throughout camp this spring, which is another tick in his favor for winning the job.
It's definitely similar to Alabama in that the options to replace Stroud are unproven, but McCord's experience in the Ohio State program — and perhaps his rapport with former high school teammate Marvin Harrison Jr. too — should put him into the starting role come Week 1.
3. Alabama football replacement for Will Anderson Jr. (Texans): Dallas Turner or Chris Braswell
When you think about what Will Anderson Jr. brought to the table, the simplest manner was a dominant pass rusher for Alabama who demanded attention — and often double teams — from the defense. In that capacity, it seems like the explosive Dallas Turner is the most likely candidate for the Crimson Tide defense to demand that type of attention in the 2023 season.
With that being said, Turner is unlikely to step into the JACK linebacker spot that Anderson played, a position that will likely be occupied now by Chris Braswell, a former 5-star recruit who has shined in limited work.
Given what both Turner and Braswell have already flashed and now stepping into more prominent roles, it's not as much sacrilege as it might sound to say that the Alabama pass rush could improve overall after the departure of Anderson with this tandem getting into opposing backfields.
4. Florida football replacement for Anthony Richardson (Colts): Graham Mertz
The question of replacing Anthony Richardson at Florida is a fascinating one, but not because the answer is uncertain. Graham Mertz, despite some concerns coming out of the spring, transferred in after four seasons at Wisconsin and should take over at QB1 in Gainesville, which is intriguing given that he had a high recruiting pedigree but was often limited by the Badgers offense.
What's interesting, though, is that Florida is not coming off an all-world season with Richardson at the helm of the offense. The Gators are losing a truly elite and unique talent at quarterback, but they are also losing a player who was drafted No. 4 overall as a developmental player who didn't necessarily star consistently in college.
Now that Billy Napier has Mertz's experience, even in a new system, perhaps that could stabilize the Gators offense in a meaningful capacity.
5. Illinois football replacement for Devon Witherspoon (Seahawks): Tahveon Nicholson
Limited to only 10 games last season due to a wrist injury, Tahveon Nicholson is all but Sharpied into being the top cornerback for the Illinois defense in the 2023 season now that Devon Witherspoon is gone.
Nicholson was quite good as the CB2 for the Fighting Illini last season, registering a pick and six pass defenses but, more importantly, allowing quarterbacks to complete just 47.5% of passes against him when targeted. That's a good number that will be the cornerstone for him to build on as he comes more into focus.
There's a good chance that Nicholson won't be as dominant as Witherspoon and, more importantly, the depth at the position will be tested. But overall, Bret Bielema has done a good job of replacing a top-five draft pick, something that would've sounded far-fetched out of Illinois not long ago.
6. Ohio State football replacement for Paris Johnson Jr. (Cardinals): Josh Fryar or Josh Simmons
We could see a battle at Ohio State throughout the rest of the offseason, particularly in fall camp, for the right to replace Paris Johnson Jr. at left tackle in the 2023 season.
Josh Fryar is the established presence in Columbus along the O-line as he returns with the most experience at tackle with over 200 snaps played last season. He also was solid in the spring and seemed to be the obvious choice to take up the role moving forward.
With that said, Ryan Day recently inked Josh Simmons out of San Diego State in the transfer portal, which raises some questions about the plan at tackle. It's entirely possible that the Buckeyes plan to have Fryar and Simmons be on the left and right side of the starting offensive line, respectively. Having said that, we could also see Simmons compete for the job on the left side.
7. Texas Tech football replacement for Tyree Wilson (Raiders): Isaac Smith
In many cases, when there is a first-round pick departing from a program that doesn't consistently have players of that caliber in the program, replacing them is not only exceptionally difficult but also hard to identify as to who the replacement will be. That's not so much the case at Texas Tech, though, as Joey McGuire was able to give us a preview at the end of last season as to who will step into Tyree Wilson's shoes.
With Wilson missing games at the end of the year for the Red Raiders, it was Isaac Smith who got the call. Not only did he get the opportunity, though, he really shined, particularly as a highly disruptive presence against Ole Miss during bowl season. It's a small sample size and there is depth on the roster, but we've already been given a clear indication from McGuire that he believes that Smith is next in line.
8. Texas football replacement for Bijan Robinson (Falcons): Jonathon Brooks
Replacing a running back who accounted for 1,894 scrimmage yards and 20 total touchdowns last season is obviously not easy. However, Texas under Steve Sarkisian is uniquely positioned to do that after losing Bijan Robinson — even with Roschon Johnson also being gone.
It's likely that Jonathon Brooks will be the starter to begin the season, and that's actually more reason to be excited than some might think. Brooks saw limited work but has averaged 6.7 yards per carry over the past two seasons along with scoring six times.
Having said that, 5-star newcomer Cedric Baxter is the talk of the town in terms of his ability and figures to be in the mix. If he lives up to the billing right away, he could be the starter in the Longhorns backfield before the season is over.
9. Georgia football replacement for Jalen Carter (Eagles): Warren Brinson
Georgia fans got a good glimpse at who they believed would be the obvious next-in-line after Jalen Carter at the defensive line factory when Bear Alexander got a hefty amount of work in the natty as the Dawgs were dismantling TCU. But then Alexander shifted things pretty drastically by entering the transfer portal after spring camp and heading out west to USC.
This is Athens we're talking about, though, and they still have more great talent waiting on the assembly line. Warren Brinson is the easy candidate to replace Carter as the starter with his experience after playing 272 snaps a year ago. But that also underscores the larger point. Georgia rotates its defensive line routinely throughout every game, so we're sure to see Zion Logue, Christian Miller, Jordan Hall and more often in the trenches for the Bulldogs.
10. Tennessee football replacement for Darnell Wright (Bears): Dayne Davis, probably
Absolutely nothing is set in stone with what Josh Heupel has planned along the Tennessee offensive line for the 2023 season, particularly at tackle. Throughout the spring, the Vols were essentially rotating four different players on both the left and right sides throughout the season to see what the best combination was with Dayne Davis, Gerald Mincey, Jeremiah Crawford and Miami transfer John Campbell.
Notably, though, it was Davis who got the proverbial start at right tackle during the Tennessee spring game and, though he did move around, that seems notable. Replacing Wright is going to be difficult in terms of his physical impact and dominance on the right side, but the Vols have options to do so. As of now, however, the safe bet is Davis and Mincey starting out on the right and left sides, respectively, given that they lead in experience with the Vols.
11. Northwestern football replacement for Peter Skoronski (Titans): Nick Herzog
Pat Fitzgerald has the unkind task of replacing arguably the best offensive lineman in the 2023 NFL Draft class on a team that went 1-11 a season ago (and was winless in the United States). That's not greaty but, somehow, the Wildcats appear like they may have answers.
The two options for Northwestern appear to be Zachary Franks and Nick Herzog. Franks has the experience edge as he was the primary backup the past few years and has seen the field a meaningful amount. Herzog, on the other hand, is one of the best recruits Northwestern has brought in over the past few years and is clearly the higher upside option.
Given the lack of success the Wildcats endured last season, my bet is on Fitzgerald going with the upside and naming Herzog the starter at left tackle.
12. Alabama football replacement for Jahmyr Gibbs (Lions): Jase McClellan
Oddly enough, figuring out how Alabama is going to replace Jahmyr Gibbs is one of the tougher questions for the Crimson Tide in the 2023 season. That's not because they don't have options but, rather, that the offense is going to be much different.
With the questions around replacing Bryce Young front of mind, the expectation is that Bama is going to lean more heavily on the run this year than they did with Young at the helm. As such, whoever is replacing Gibbs will be playing a substantially different role than in previous seasons.
The likely RB1 entering the year will be Jase McClellan, who has been good in limited work. With that said, this is a deep running back room and, with the emphasis on that part of the offense, we should see plenty of Roydell Williams, Justice Haynes and Jamarion Miller too.
13. Iowa football replacement for Lukas Van Ness (Packers): Deontae Craig
Because of the way Iowa runs the program under Kirk Ferentz, replacing Lukas Van Ness doesn't mean the Hawkeyes are replacing a starter because, even though Van Ness was the most feared presence in the defensive front, the team gave the "starter" label to more experienced players.
So while we are looking at the replacements for Van Ness, it becomes more of a question of who will be stepping up as the most disruptive presence on the Iowa defense.
Deontae Craig, who registered 6.5 sacks as a reserve last season, is the most obvious candidate to be that player. While he doesn't have the same versatility as Van Ness, nor the elite athletic traits, he's proven to be a real force and should thrive at defensive end, perhaps putting up more production sack-wise too as a more polished, technical rusher.
14. Georgia football replacement for Broderick Jones (Steelers): Earnest Greene
Make no mistake, Kirby Smart and Georgia have to feel good about the future of the offensive line, even after losing an elite talent and specimen like Broderick Jones. With that said, there has been a competition throughout the spring to determine who will start at left tackle, one that didn't end in the spring either.
The competitors appear to be junior Austin Blaske and redshirt freshman Earnest Greene. While Blaske obviously has the experience advantage within the program and overall, Greene is by far the higher-rated recruit and better overall talent as he was a Top 50 overall player in the 2022 national recruiting class.
Greene was the starter for the G-Day game in Athens and, while Blaske will still push him, I don't see a player as talented as Greene being kept on the sidelines, particularly in the transfer portal era.
15. Iowa State football replacement for Will McDonald IV (Jets): Tyler Onyedim
For all of the good that Matt Campbell has done with Iowa State over the years, they still aren't an elite talent factory, which stands to reason given that the program essentially starts behind the 8-ball in recruiting for a number of reasons.
Having said that, it's all but sure that the Cyclones aren't going to be able to replace a player and athlete of McDonald's caliber with another player on that level. Joey Peteren is the closest to that mold as a traditional end rusher — but he's also all potential with no real proof. Tyler Onyedim, meanwhile, also has a ton of projection involved as well, but has more versatility.
Based on what we do know, though, I believe that Onyedim is better set up to replace McDonald at Iowa State as an overall difference maker, even if they are different styles of player.
16. Mississippi State football replacement for Emmanuel Forbes (Commanders): Esaias Furdge
Emmanuel Forbes was, without question, a stud at cornerback for Mississippi State. But the Bulldogs are actually in great shape to contend with the loss of their star in the secondary as they have two corners in the fold with great experience within the program who are now joined by two intriguing transfers as well.
Decmaerion Richardson is likely to stay in his role from a year ago, which leaves Esaias Furdge, coming into his fifth season with MSU, to take up the spot evacuated by Forbes. He has played some and proven himself well, so Zach Arnett has to feel confident in him taking on a bigger role. With that said, if he struggles, LSU transfer Raydarious Jones and Miami transfer Khamauri Rodgers could get looks to fill in as well.
17. Oregon football replacement for Christian Gonzalez (Patriots): Dontae Manning
Taking into consideration what Dan Lanning was able to do in the transfer portal this offseason, there are going to be some Oregon fans who believe that former Alabama cornerback Khyree Jackson will have a chance to start in the secondary. For me, however, this feels quite obviously like Dontae Manning's spot to lose.
A former 5-star recruit, Manning has played significant snaps for the Ducks over the past few seasons, but has not been able to get past Gonzalez or Trikweze Bridges — who is back in Eugene for Oregon in 2023 — as a starter. Now, he has experience and obvious pedigree to step into that role and prove what he can do.
It's another situation not set in stone, but the writing on the wall appears far more clear than in some other programs throughout college football.
18. Iowa football replacement for Jack Campbell (Lions): Nick Jackson
Even if the Lions hadn't made what many considered a reach to take Jack Campbell within the Top 20 picks, replacing the linebacker would've been of the utmost importance for Iowa in the 2023 season given what he meant to that defense as a playmaker and leaders.
The Hawkeyes are often a program that focuses on growing their own stars but a large exodues with Campbell saw two other linebackers who were key factors leave as well. That ultimately led to Kirk Ferentz bringing in the obvious replacement, former Virginia linebacker Nick Jackson, by way of the portal.
Jackson started three seasons for UVA and, considering that Iowa used a rare transfer on such a high-profile player, it would be a true shock if they didn't start him as they appear to be quite high on what he brings to the table.
19. Pitt football replacement for Calijah Kancey (Bucs): Devin Danielson
There are many faults that we could point to in modern college football when it comes to Pat Narduzzi's Pitt program, but producing quality defensive line talent is not among them. So even though the Panthers don't have a player who will be quite the same force that Calijah Kancey was for Pitt.
Pittsburgh rotates along the defensive line relatively often, so we saw Devin Danielson, who is entering his sixth season, play just a hair over 300 snaps last season. Again, he's not nearly the force that Kance was and we'll likely see a rotation once again, one that includes veteran David Green and more from Elliot Donald. All told, though, it'll be Danielson lining up as the starter alongside the returning Green.
20. Ohio State football replacement for Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seahawks): Julian Fleming
Ohio State's receiver room since Brian Hartline got his claws into the recruiting pipeline has been an embarrassment of riches. The Buckeyes, frankly, didn't have Jaxon Smith-Njigba on the field for almost all of the 2022 season, so the receiving corps that Kyle McCord will be working with is frankly quite similar to what we saw a year ago with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka as the star duo.
With that said, we'll look at Julian Fleming as the third option who is more likely to emerge now that JSN is gone.
Fleming was an all-world recruit in the 2020 class but, much like Smith-Njigba last season, injuries have been an issue. Assuming that they haven't robbed him of his quickness and juice, he could be in line for a monster season, especially with all of the attention Harrison and Egbuka will demand.
21. TCU football replacement for Quentin Johnston (Chargers): Savion Williams
I'm still a bit worried about what we're going to see from the TCU offense overall given all that the unit has to replace. And frankly, it's somewhat cheating to have Savion Williams as the replacement for Quentin Johnston with the Horned Frogs given that he was a starter last season. However, it's likely that Williams will be asked to be the primary playmaker for the passing offense in 2023.
Williams is a different player than Johnston to some degree in that he lives up to his 6-foot-5, 215-pound frame as a vertical threat with jump-ball ability more so than Johnston did with his ample size. Still, he'll be asked to be more consistent, but all of the tools and traits for him to be a real difference-maker in the offense are there with Williams coming into this larger role.
22. Boston College football replacement for Zay Flowers (Ravens): Ryan O'Keefe
For as good as Zay Flowers was with Boston College throughout his career, Jeff Hafley may have been able to find a player who can be even more of a difference maker for the Eagles in the 2023 season when he landed UCF transfer Ryan O'Keefe.
Much like Flowers, O'Keefe is exceptionally versatile in where he can line up, essentially splitting evenly his time outside and in the slot, something that Flowers did often in the BC offense as well. More importantly, though, O'Keefe simply has more juice as a player with track star speed that trumps what Flowers offered in that regard.
Flowers was instrumentally important for the Boston College offense and leave big shoes to fill. Hafley hit a home run in landing O'Keefe in the portal to be that guy, however.
23. USC football replacement for Jordan Addison (Vikings): Dorian Singer
Even with Jordan Addison gone, having Caleb Williams throwing the football at USC will solve a lot of problems about who will replace the standout receiver. On top of that, though, the Trojans are also bringing back a wealth of talent with players who produced last season in addition to adding 5-star recruit Zachariah Branch to the mix as well.
With that said, Dorian Singer is also a newcomer after two seasons at Arizona, including last season when he led the Pac-12 in receiving yards. He mirrors Addison in not being an elite athlete, but has more size at 6-foot-1 to work with in addition to having a similar savvy and nuance for the position in getting open while also making RAC plays. He'll continue to produce at a high level at his new home and step into the role of being Williams' favorite target in the passing attack.
24. Maryland football replacement for Deonte Banks (Giants): Ja'quan Sheppard
Even with Maryland consistently producing and bringing in more talent of late than the Terps have traditionally, finding someone to step in for a first-round cornerback is not something the roster was prepared to do after losing Deonte Banks. But that's why it was an absolute win for the Terrapins to be able to land Cincinnati transfer Ja'quan Sheppard in the portal who, though a different style of player than Banks, should be Maryland's top corner in 2023.
Sheppard was an all-conference player in 2022 with the Bearcats and now comes to Maryland looking to build on that furthere. He's a big, physical player on the outside who shouldn't struggle with Big Ten competion. Most importantly, though, the Terrapins secondary is still flush with talent around Sheppard, thus putting less pressure on him and allowing him to transition smoothly.
25. Utah football replacement for Dalton Kincaid (Bills): Thomas Yassmin
Interestingly enough, Dalton Kincaid actually wasn't supposed to be Utah's top tight end a year ago. He was working in-tandem with Brant Kuithe, but Kuithe was injured and missed substantial time for the Utes. Now he's returning and figures to be the top tight end again. But instead of just mentioning him — which you should with his previous production and skills as one of the better pass-ctaching tight ends in the country — we'll look at who steps in as TE2.
That will surely be Thomas Yassmin, who filled in for Kuithe after the injury last season. Though it was Kincaid who ended up with the lion's share of the work, Yassmin quietly had a nice season with six touchdowns on the year. He should be a nice secondary option while Kuithe, in truth, steps in as the star of the passing offense now that he's healthy and with Kincaid gone.
26. Michigan football replacement for Mazi Smith (Cowboys): Mason Graham
Despite all of the hype around Mazi Smith as a physical freak and force on the interior, the fact of the matter is that he didn't consistently put it all together for Michigan, even if the flashes were indeed spectacular. His departure and joining the Cowboys by way of the draft now means that a player who has also already flashed as a rotational piece, Mason Graham, gets to step into a bigger role and be a potential star.
Even working as a backup, Graham was highly impressive as just a true freshman in 2022, registerng 2.5 sacks and 27 total tackles for the Wolverines. For a player with no college experience to show up like that as a backup speaks highly of his talent and, as the presumed starter, he could be a force for Jim Harbaugh's team.
27. Oklahoma football replacement for Anton Harrison (Jaguars): Walter Rouse
This might be one of the simplest answers in college football for how to replace a first-round pick, it just comes with one key caveat.
Anton Harrison was a beast for Oklahoma but, now that he's gone, Brent Vanables was able to land Walter Rouse out of Stanford in the transfer portal this offseason, giving the Sooners a highly experienced newcomer who has started for four years at left tackle with the Cardinal. That's a huge boost to replace a player like Harrison.
The caveat, however, is that the Sooners need Rouse to be healthy. He missed the entire spring after undergoing shoulder surgery. That isn't favorable but, as he's expected to be recovered by fall, if that goes well, he's the clear-cut option to slide in at left tackle with Harrison now gone.
28. Clemson football replacement for Myles Murphy (Bengals): Xavier Thomas
Not only does Dabo Swinney have to figure out how to replace Myles Murphy on the edge, but he has to do the same with his second-best presence at the position from a year ago, K.J. Henry, who was an early fifth-round pick by the Commanders.
It feels weird to call Xavier Thomas a replacement for Murphy and Henry given that he's entering his sixth season with the Tigers program, but it makes practical sense. He's a former 5-star recruit who has been riddled with injuries throughout his college career, but there have always been signs of the player he can be.
Clemson needs Thomas to stay healthy and put together a full season of that to be the defensive force they hope to be in the ACC in the 2023 season.
29. Clemson football replacement for Bryan Bresee (Saints): Ruke Orhorhoro
Staying with Clemson, there isn't as much crossing of fingers and praying on the interior of the defensive line as there is on the edge. Yes, Bryan Bresee was an all-world talent, but he also never fully realized all of that potential with injuries and off-field circumstances playing a factor in that.
Because of that, though, we saw a lot of Ruke Orhorhoro last season alongside another stud, Tyler Davis, and know what he brings to the table, particularly as a pass-rusher. Despite Bresee's pedigree, you could make the argument that Orhorhoro was the more effective penetrator from the interior and pairing him with Davis as the starters in 2023 could make for quite an effective pairing.
30. Georgia football replacement for Nolan Smith (Eagles): Chaz Chambliss or Marvin Jones Jr.
Much like with Jalen Carter, replacing a player with the unbelievable athletic profile of Nolan Smith is not easy for most college football programs. More importantly, it's made even more difficult for Georgia in the fact that Robert Beal, who slotted in when Smith was injured at the end of 2022, was also in the 2023 NFL Draft.
There isn't a definitive answer as to who will take over the JACK linebacker role in the Bulldogs defense but it does seam that Chaz Chambliss, who made strides in limited playing time a year ago, will be in line to at least have a crack at starting. Marvin Jones Jr. might be the most talented option, though. If he can get healthy for fall camp and show out, he has enough juice to ultimately take over the JACK position in 2023.
31. Kansas State football replacement for Felix Anudike-Uzomah (Chiefs): Khalid Duke
Kansas State is looking like a defense that will have to patchwork its way to a solution for replacing Felix Anudike-Uzomah in the 2023 season. They have limited experience on the edge coming into the year with Brendan Mott being the only player with any reps of consequence to his credit at the position.
That's where Khalid Duke is going to play a key factor, though. He played as a linebacker in the 2022 season, which he was initally recruited as, but moved to defensive end in the 2020 and 2021 seasons before switching back. Now he's making that switch again and, despite all of his positional movement, he's maintained the ability to be an effective pass rusher, which is what he'll need to be as he tries to replace Anudike-Uzomah.
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