1. Travon Walker -> Nolan Smith

The top-ranked prospect from the 2019 recruiting class is one of the few returning players on this Georgia defense that saw a good amount of snaps. Nolan Smith will need to show higher production levels to live up to the hype, but I don’t doubt him for a second. Smith and returning starter Jalen Carter are going to feast on offensive lines all year.

2. Aidan Hutchinson -> Mike Morris

A former three-star prospect going into his senior year, Mike Morris is going to see significant snaps for the first time in his collegiate career. Morris has recorded 18 total tackles in 15 career games for the Wolverines in addition to an interception he got against Michigan State last year.

3. Derek Stingley Jr -> Jarrick Bernard-Converse

By way of Stillwater, Jarrick Bernard-Converse is going to be flying around Tiger Stadium. The former three-star recruit from Shreveport, La. has the desired frame for a true No. 1 corner at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds. In four years with Oklahoma State, Bernard-Converse defended 24 passes and recorded two interceptions. He also found himself in the backfield frequently, racking up seven career tackles for loss, which includes five sacks.

4. Sauce Gardner -> Arquon Bush

Arquon Bush is by no means a new piece on this defense, but he is going to be transitioning to a larger role. Bush has racked up seven picks in his four years with the Bearcats, including a pick-six in his first year. He was a three-star recruit out of Euclid High School in Ohio back in 2018.

5. Kayvon Thibodeaux -> DJ Johnson

The converted tight end going into his sixth year is going to have massive shoes to fill for the Ducks this year. DJ Johnson is an explosive athlete who will use his 6-foot-4 frame to help Oregon in his newly-found role.

6. Ikem Ekwonu -> Bryson Speas

A cornerstone on the right side in the past, Bryson Speas is gonna have to slide left to aid the loss of Ikem Ekwonu. The former three-star recruit from Greensboro, N.C., has played a lot at right tackle and right guard. 

7. Evan Neal -> Tyler Steen

Being a player at Vanderbilt usually doesn’t bode well for a career, but that is not the case for Tyler Steen. Steen has caught enough eyes to get a transfer offer to take the spot of newly-drafted Evan Neal.

8. Drake London -> Jordan Addison

Going from Drake London to Jordan Addison is like going from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers. USC fans have a lot to look forward to this year with another projected first-round pick wide receiver. The only question should be about if the rest of the Trojans can live up to the enormous amount of hype.

9. Charles Cross -> Kwatrivous Johnson

Going into his fifth year with Mississippi State, Kwatrivious Johnson will have a tall task of keeping Will Rogers protected in the pass-happy offense that Mike Leach runs. He is not inexperienced by any means though, appearing in 11 games last year and 23 in his first four years. Johnson was a four-star recruit in 2018 and the second-ranked recruit in Mississippi.

10. Garrett Wilson -> Jaxon Smith-Njigba

While Jaxon Smith-Njigba isn’t replacing anybody, I can’t not mention the future top 10 pick. On a team with so many first-round talents, Smith-Njigba found a way to be the star of the group. Look for him to be in the running for the Biletnikoff Award by the end of the season.

11. Chris Olave -> Marvin Harrison Jr

One of two receivers to record three touchdowns in this past Rose Bowl, Marvin Harrison Jr. is going to see a significantly increased role with the loss of both Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. A top 100 recruit in the 2021 cycle, Harrison Jr. is going to be one piece in what is setting up to be at least one of the best passing attacks in the country.

12. Jameson Williams -> Tyler Harrell

Losing Jameson Williams sucks, but Tyler Harrell is a very good replacement. Averaging 29.1 yards per catch in 2021, Harrell is going to make sure Bryce Young has a proven deep-threat receiver who will keep defensive coordinators in the SEC on their toes.

13. Jordan Davis -> Jalen Carter

I don’t think there are many people that believe Jalen Carter wasn’t the best defensive lineman on that Georgia team last year (except for the person that gave Jordan Davis a vote for the Heisman for reasons unbeknownst to me). Carter is one of two returning starters that will try to keep the defensive production somewhat close to what it was last year.

14. Kyle Hamilton -> Brandon Joseph

It really sucks losing the best safety in the country. That’s why Notre Dame softened the blow by getting another stellar safety from the transfer portal. Brandon Joseph is a top-three safety who is now at one of the best safety-developing programs in the country.

15. Kenyon Green -> Trey Zuhn III

Trey Zuhn III is going to be a redshirt freshman. Zuhn was a four-star recruit out of Fort Collins, Colo.

16. Jahan Dotson -> Parker Washington

After catching 64 passes for 820 yards last year, Parker Washington is going to be thrust into the WR1 role. I know that Penn State is going to be brought up a ton when it comes to receiving cores, but a tandem of Washington and Western Kentucky transfer Mitchell Tinsley could be an explosive one.

17. Zion Johnson -> Finn Dirstine

The second-ranked recruit from Massachusetts in the 2018 cycle is going to have to play a full season for the first time. Not only are the Eagles replacing Zion Johnson, but Christian Mahogany went down with an injury. 

18. Treylon Burks -> Jadon Haselwood

Arkansas is heavily banking on the hype from Jadon Haselwood to pay off. The former fourth-ranked player in the country has not performed to expectations as of yet. Maybe making the move from Oklahoma to find a new home in Fayetteville is what he needs to take the next step in his career.

19. Trevor Penning -> Jared Penning

I understand that this isn’t a true replacement as Jared is a guard. But I just found it very interesting that Northern Iowa will not be left without that Penning mentality in the trenches. 

20. Kenny Pickett -> Kedon Slovis

Is a quarterback committed to USC ever going to stay there? It seems like a yearly event where we look at which former Trojan quarterbacks are now playing. Is it West Virginia, Pitt, or Ole Miss? The answer is all of them. Kedon Slovis has flashed in the past, but the surrounding talent at Pitt is worrisome after losing Jordan Addison to Slovis’ former program.

21. Trent McDuffie -> Jordan Perryman

Who doesn’t love a Big Sky transfer? An All-Big Sky player in 2021, Jordan Perryman has come a long way to become a starting cornerback with a good Power Five team.

22. Quay Walker -> Jamon Dumas-Johnson

Jamon Dumas-Johnson, a former four-star prospect and current true sophomore, will need to help this defense significantly. He is just one of the many pieces who will need to live up to their potential if Georgia wants to have any shades of that elite defense last year.

23. Kaiir Elam -> Avery Helm

After seeing a good amount of snaps last year, Avery Helm will be looked at as one of the top corners on this Gators team. The four-star recruit out of Missouri City, Tex., who recorded 22 total tackles last year will get to see a lot of great receivers face-to-face this year.

24. Tyler Smith -> Jaden Muskrat

An all-state honoree for Bentonville West High School in Bentonville, Ark. in 2019. Played four games in 2020 and four games in 2021.

25. Tyler Linderbaum -> Logan Jones

A defensive lineman transitioning to center. Logan Jones was a four-star defensive lineman in the 2020 recruiting cycle, while also being the top player in the state of Iowa. Jones was also elite at throwing shot put and discus in high school.

26. Jermaine Johnson II -> Derrick McLendon II

We could see an explosion right here. Derrick McLendon II was a three-star recruit out of Tucker, Ga., in the 2019 class. McLendon II notched 3.5 sacks in 12 games, and I would be shocked if he didn’t improve that number by a decent margin this season.

27. Devin Lloyd -> Mohamoud Diabate

An incoming transfer from Florida who was a four-star recruit from Auburn, Ala., Mohamoud Diabate recorded a career-high 89 total tackles for the Gators last season.

28. Devonte Wyatt -> Zion Logue

You know how I was talking about the need to live up to potential with Jamon Dumas-Johnson? Same goes here. Zion Logue was a four-star recruit out of Lebanon, Tenn.

29. Cole Strange -> Jeremiah Katt

I’m not gonna lie, I keep forgetting that Cole Strange was a first-round pick. Jeremiah Katt appeared in 12 games for the Mocs as a former unranked prospect from Mesa, Ariz.

30. George Karlaftis -> Jack Sullivan

Jack Sullivan is a former three-star recruit from Plainfield, Ill. in 2018. Recorded three sacks last year. Interesting note: he had five passes defended as a freshman in 2019.

31. Daxton Hill -> Rod Moore

Rod Moore appeared in 11 games during his true freshman campaign for the Wolverines. The former three-star recruit had some flashes, including a good game against the Buckeyes where he racked up nine tackles.

32. Lewis Cine -> Tykee Smith

Tykee Smith is a player I was high on going into the 2021 season. He is probably going to end up in the slot for the Bulldogs as they try and replace the nine starters they lost from last year. The former West Virginia Mountaineer is going to turn a lot of heads this fall.