15 college football teams losing the most talent in 2018

• Early NFL Draft Entrants: 3 (CB Denzel Ward, LB Jerome Booker, DE Sam Hubbard)
• Starters Lost: 11 (4 Offense, 7 Defense)
• Two-Deep Lost: 14 (7 Offense, 7 Defense)
• Passing Yards Returning: 626 (17.02 Percent)
• Rushing Yards Returning: 671 (74.63 Percent)
• Receiving Yards Returning: 3,375 (91.74 Percent)
• Tackles Returning: 357 (51.78 Percent)

Similar to Louisville, Ohio State came out pretty well in terms of overall offensive production lost, with only four starters gone from last year’s team. However, one of the four was J.T. Barrett, who had one of the most productive careers ever for a Buckeyes quarterback.

Barrett saw significant action in all four seasons at Ohio State and finished with 9,434 passing yards and 3,263 rushing yards. Barrett set Big Ten records for passing touchdowns (104), total yards (12,697) and touchdowns responsible for (147). He ranks second in conference history in passing efficiency rating (152.3) and fourth in adjusted passing yards per attempt (8.4).

In addition to Barnett, the Buckeyes lost an all-time great on the offensive line. Billy Price is a likely first round pick widely considered the best center prospect in over a decade. Left tackle Jamarco Jones and tight end Marcus Baugh are also out of eligibility.

On the other side of the football, Ohio State lost three juniors to the NFL Draft: defensive end Sam Hubbard, linebacker Jerome Baker, and cornerback Denzel Ward. Hubbard ranked second on the team with seven sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss, Baker ranks second with 57 tackles, and Ward led the squad with 15 pass breakups and accounted for two interceptions as well. Paired with four senior starters and three other key contributors that graduated, the Buckeyes must replace nearly half their tackling production from the 2017 Big Ten Championship team.