For those of you who don't have insider, some morning reading.
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The most irreplaceable players in college football
While the NFL draft means excitement and hope for draftees, it also means the end of their college careers, leaving some of the biggest schools in the country with massive holes to fill. Obviously, each player who departs will leave a gap in some form, but there are some who will be extremely tough to replace.
Here are the 10 most irreplaceable players leaving college football this spring.
1. Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
Predicted by ESPN draft analysts
Todd McShay and
Mel Kiper to be the top player selected in the NFL draft this spring, Garrett's departure leaves a huge hole on the Texas A&M defensive line. An incredible pass-rusher, Garrett racked up 31 sacks, 35 hits and 99 hurries on 978 pass-rushing snaps over three years. While he has improved each season against the run, it's his ability to rush the passer -- averaging a sack, hit or hurry once every 5.6 pass-rushing snaps -- that separates him from so many other players in the nation and makes him such a key loss for the Aggies.
2. Jonathan Allen, DL, Alabama
The best player on Alabama's defensive interior in 2016-17, the Crimson Tide will have a hard time replacing Allen. A do-it-all superstar, Allen saw a much bigger role for the SEC champions last year, playing 746 snaps after playing 401 in 2015. For the second year in a row he racked up 13 sacks, but his total pressures went up from 36 in 2015 to 67 this season. He stood out against the run too, making a tackle resulting in a defensive stop on 11.5 percent of his run-defense snaps, tied for the highest total among 3-4 defensive ends.
3. Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
Arguably the best pure runner in the nation in 2016-17, Cook's decision to forego his senior season and head to the NFL means that Florida State will be without its best offensive weapon. Cook forced 90 missed tackles as a runner this season, the most by any running back in the past three seasons. Averaging 4.2 yards after contact per carry, Cook's ability to break games open with big plays, as well as churn out 4-yard runs to keep the chains moving, makes him one of the most irreplaceable players in the nation.
4. Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
While Oklahoma's
Baker Mayfield was Pro Football Focus' top-graded quarterback last season, Watson was second, and given his ability to make it count when it matters, his departure is a huge loss for a Clemson team looking to defend its national championship. Watson was impressive throwing the ball downfield in 2016, throwing 14 touchdowns to just three interceptions on throws 20 yards and beyond downfield. He also stood out under pressure, throwing eight touchdowns to three interceptions and completing 49.2 percent of his passes when the defense got to him.
5. Jamal Adams, S, LSU
You could make the case that this outgoing LSU safety was the most complete defender in the nation this past year. On plays in which he was the primary defender in coverage, Adams allowed just a 51.3 percent completion rate, and he had an interception and three pass breakups. Missing just seven tackles over the course of the year, he was a force against the run, too, and finished the season with 33 tackles resulting in a defensive stop.
6. Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama
Alabama has talent at linebacker, so the loss of Foster is less about struggling to find a starter at the position next season, and more to do with just how dominant Foster was. With the speed to run sideline to sideline and the ability to take on blockers and make plays in coverage, Foster was the best linebacker in the nation this season. Against the run, he made a tackle resulting in a defensive stop on 16.3 percent of his plays, the best mark of any linebacker who played at least 150 snaps against the run.
7. Dede Westbrook, WR, Oklahoma
While they do return their quarterback in Mayfield, the Oklahoma Sooners are losing Westbrook, their Biletnikoff Award-winning wide receiver, and as much as the offense is still likely to put up big numbers, he will be missed. Throws to Westbrook netted an NFL quarterback rating of 149.8 last year, the highest mark in the nation, while his 4.08 yards per route run average ranked third among all wide receivers. On passes traveling at least 20 yards in the air, he racked up 721 yards. Oklahoma will have a hard time replacing his big-play ability.
8. Forrest Lamp, OT, Western Kentucky
Lamp was one of top offensive linemen in the nation over the past three years. Though he might move inside at the next level, Lamp manned the left tackle spot for the Hilltoppers and allowed just three sacks, 10 hits and 18 hurries on 1,621 pass-blocking snaps between 2014 and 2016. Dominant against the run too, Western Kentucky will miss his ability to keep pass-rushers at bay and crush linebackers at the second level.
9. O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama
With a draft class that could break the record for most players selected in the first round of a single draft, it's not surprising that Alabama is losing three of the most irreplaceable players in the nation. At tight end, Howard dominated as a run-blocker, earning the highest PFF run-blocking grade at the position in 2016. Though he was somewhat underutilized as a receiver, he still made a big impact, dropping just six of the 110 catchable passes thrown his way over the past three seasons.
10. Teez Tabor and Quincy Wilson, CB, Florida
There's a good chance that Florida will see two of their cornerbacks drafted in the first round this spring, and coming a year after
Vernon Hargreaves III was selected early, that's a testament to the cornerback talent at the school recently. That being said, losing the combination of Tabor and Wilson is a nightmare scenario for Florida. Wilson allowed an NFL quarterback rating of just 29.9 on throws into his coverage, while Tabor wasn't far behind at 41.3. To put that in perspective, the NFL passer rating for throwing the ball away on every snap would be 39.9, so Florida is losing two players who were either under or just over that benchmark.
