College Football: Replacements for every first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft

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.