Alabama is still doing the best job of replacing lost talent.
Derrick Henry is one of the many stud running backs that make up Alabama's recruiting haul.
The teams that reach the BCS Bowl Games do so by recruiting well and developing talent. However, only six of the 12 BCS Bowl teams this year have found a spot on the
MaxPreps Top 25 Recruiting Classes list.
Making it back to the BCS Bowl Games will thus depend on how well teams can replace the talent they lose to graduation. Here's a look at each of the 12 BCS teams focusing on who they lose and who they gain on signing day.
WisconsinThe Badgers finished the season 8-6 overall, losing to Stanford 20-14 in the Rose Bowl.
Losses: Wisconsin will have to replace Montee Ball, the NCAA's all-time leader in touchdowns and a two-time All-American. He's expected to go in the second round of the NFL draft along with teammate Travis Frederick, the team's center. Other potential draft picks include tackle Rick Wagner in the fifth round and cornerback Devin Smith in the seventh round.
Visit the MaxPreps National Signing Day pageGains: The best bet to replace Ball among the incoming recruits is running back
Corey Clement of
Glassboro (N.J.). He ranks as one of the state's all-time leading rushers. The Badgers have addressed one of their voids on the offensive line by getting a commitment from
Hayden Biegel of
Lincoln (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.), the brother of current Badger linebacker Vince Biegel. Another legacy joining the Badgers is
T.j. Watt of
Pewaukee (Wis.). He's the brother of NFL all-pro defensive lineman J.J. Watt. The younger Watt could find a spot with the Badgers as a linebacker. He joins
Alec James, a defensive end out of
Brookfield East (Wis.), as the top in-state defensive commits.
StanfordThe Cardinal finished 12-2, winning the Pac 12 North and defeating Wisconsin 20-14 in the Rose Bowl.
Losses: Once again the Cardinal are losing one of the nation's top tight ends as Zach Ertz is expected to be a first round draft pick. His former teammate Coby Fleener went in the first round of last year's draft. Stanford must also replace running back Stepfan Taylor, a potential fourth round pick, along with defenders Chase Thomas (OLB, potential second round pick) and Terrence Brown (CB, sixth round).
Gains: Stanford had little trouble finding an eventual replacement for Thomas as
Butler (Matthews, N.C.) linebacker
Peter Kalambayi ranks as one of the nation's top recruits at that position. The Cardinal may have another standout tight end in the making in
Mission Oak (Tulare, Calif.) athlete
Kevin Palma. A diverse athlete, Palma may end up on the other side of the ball as a defensive end/linebacker. Stanford only has one running back on its commit list so far in
Sean Barton of
Woods Cross (Utah).
Northern IllinoisThe Huskies won the MAC West championship and finished 12-2 overall after falling to Florida State 31-10 in the Orange Bowl.
Losses: The Huskies do not have any potential NFL draft picks, but they are expected to lose several players who earned All-MAC honors, including conference MVP Jordan Lynch, who threw for more than 3,000 yards and rushed for close to 2,000. Northern Illinois also loses his top target at wide receiver in Martel Moore, along with defenders Sean Progar (DL), Alan Baxter (DL) and Tyrone Clark (LB).
Gaines: The Huskies have targeted wide receiver as a position of need as they have received commitments from two
Aurora Christian (Ill.) standouts,
Brandon Mayes and
Chad Beebe, son of former NFL receiver Don Beebe. Also on the commit list is
Corey Winfield of
Riverview Gardens (St. Louis). The Huskies don't have a quarterback among their 11 recruits thus far.
Florida State
The Seminoles finished No. 10 overall in the country at 12-2 after defeating Northern Illinois 31-10 in the Orange Bowl.
Losses: Bjoern Werner, a defensive end, is projected as a top five pick in the NFL draft. Florida State also loses cornerback Xavier Rhodes, another potential first rounder, along with linebacker Brandon Jenkins (second round) and defensive end Cornellius Carradine (third round). On the offensive side, the Seminoles also lose quarterback E.J. Manuel, a potential third-rounder.
Gains: Florida State has tabbed two Lemming Top 100 players in running back
Ryan Green of
St. Petersburg Catholic (Fla.) and linebacker
E.J. Levenberry of
Hylton (Woodbridge, Va.). So far Florida State has limited most of its recruiting to the south with 13 of its 17 recruits coming from Florida. One of those in-state recruits is quarterback
John Franklin of
South Plantation (Plantation, Fla.).
LouisvilleThe Cardinals finished the season ranked No. 13 in the coaches poll but they defeated Florida 33-23 in the Sugar Bowl to finish 11-2.
Losses: A very young team, Louisville loses very little from the 2012 squad. Only two players, cornerback Adrian Bushell (fifth round) and center Mario Benavides (seventh round), are expected to get drafted.
Gains: Louisville has picked up
James Quick of
Trinity (Louisville, Ky.), one of the nation's top receiving recruits, to give quarterback Teddy Bridgewater another explosive target. Protecting Bridgewater is also a high priority and thus the addition of 6-7, 310-pound
Skylar Lacy of
Southport (Indianapolis) and offensive lineman
Chandler Bridges of
Flowery Branch (Ga.).
FloridaRanked No. 9 in the final regular season coaches poll, Florida fell to Louisville 33-23 in the Sugar Bowl.
Losses: Several Gators could go in the first round, including defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd and safety Matt Elam. Tight end Jordan Reed is a potential third round pick along with linebackers Jelani Jenkins and Jon Bostic.
See photos and video of Florida's recruiting classGains: The Gators have addressed one of their losses at linebacker with the recruiting of MaxPreps All-American linebacker
Alex Anzalone of
Wyomissing (Pa.), The defensive backfield is also a priority with
Vernon Hargreaves III of
Wharton (Tampa, Fla.) and
Marcell Harris of
Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.). The Gators have also added some gems at the skill positions with
Demarcus Robinson of
Peach County (Fort Valley, Ga.) and
Ahmad Fulwood of
Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville, Fla.) at wide receiver and
Kelvin Taylor of
Glades Day (Belle Glade, Fla.), son of former Florida standout and NFL veteran Fred Taylor, at running back.
Kansas State
The Wildcats finished the season 11-2 and ranked No. 12 while losing 35-17 to Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl.
Losses: Few Wildcats are expected to be drafted, but their loss to the program is significant. Linebacker Arthur Brown is expected to go in the second round while Meshak Williams, another linebacker, is a potential fifth rounder. Chris Harper, a wide receiver, is tabbed for the fourth round while Heisman Trophy candidate Collin Klein (QB) could go in the seventh round.
Gains: The Wildcats have done a good job of addressing the losses at linebacker with commitments from
Tanner Woodof
Conway Springs (Kan.) and
Isaiah Williams of
Skyline (Dallas). The Wildcats have yet to receive a quarterback commitment.
Oregon
Ranked No. 2 in the final coaches poll, Oregon defeated Kansas State 35-17 in the Fiesta Bowl.
Losses: Most of the Ducks expected to go in the draft are on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive end Dion Jordan is a potential first round pick while linebacker Kiko Alonso could go in the fourth round and linebacker Michael Clay in the seventh round. Safety John Boyett is also a potential seventh round pick. On offense, the Ducks will have to replace tackle Kyle Long, a potential second rounder, and explosive running back Kenjon Barner, a fourth round candidate.
Gains: Many of the top additions to the team are on offense. The Ducks have plucked one of the top running backs in the nation in
Thomas Tyner of
Aloha (Beaverton, Ore.). Another potential standout running back,
Dontre Wilson of
DeSoto (Texas), opted to sign with Ohio State, however. Quarterback
Damion Hobbs of
Cedar Hill (Texas) also fits nicely into Oregon's style of attack. Adding to Oregon's speed advantage is
Brophy College Prep (Phoenix) receiver
Devon Allen, who is also one of the nation's top track athletes. On defense, brothers
Tyree and
Tyrell Robinson of
Lincoln (San Diego) will help ease the loss of Alonso and Boyett.
Texas A&M
Behind Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel, the Aggies finished 11-2 and ranked No. 5 after a 41-13 win over Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl.
Losses: A pair of Aggies, tackle Luke Joeckel and defensive end Damontre Moore, figure to be drafted among the top 10 selections in the first round, with Joeckel receiving plenty of attention as the No. 1 overall pick. Linebacker Sean Porter is a potential second round pick while Christine Michael, a running back, could go in the third round and receivers Ryan Swope and Uzoma Nwachukwu could go in the later rounds.
Gains: The Aggies have done a great job recruiting with a whopping 32 recruits on the list. Tops on the list are Lemming Top 100 receivers
Derrick Griffin of
Terry (Rosenberg, Texas) and
Ricky Seals-Jones of
Sealy (Texas). The Aggies have also recruited two of the state's best quarterbacks in
Kenny Hill of
Carroll (Southlake, Texas) and strong-armed
Kohl Stewart of
St. Pius X (Houston).
Oklahoma
The Sooners finished ranked No. 15 with a 10-3 record after a 41-13 loss to Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl.
Losses: Three key parts of the Oklahoma offense will be gone after this year as tackle Lane Johnson is a potential first round draft pick and quarterback Landry Jones and receiver Kenny Stills could go in the third round. On defense, safety Tony Jefferson is a possible third-round pick as well.
Gains: The Sooners have taken solid steps to replace their offensive weapons as they landed quarterback
Cody Thomas of
Heritage (Colleyville, Texas) and receiver
Stanvon Taylor of
East Central (Tulsa, Okla.). On defense,
DJ Ward, a defensive end from
Southmoore (Moore, Okla.) is the top recruit. The Sooners have only one offensive line recruit so far in
Christian Daimler of
Stratford (Houston).
Notre Dame
The Irish saw their unbeaten season (12-1) come to an end with a 42-14 loss to Alabama in the BCS Championship.
Losses: The toughest loss will be on defense where Heisman Trophy candidate Manti Te'o is off to the NFL. The Fighting Irish also lose safety Zeke Motta (a fifth round choice) while on offense they must replace tight end Tyler Eifert (first round), and running backs Theo Riddick (fifth round) and Cierre Wood (sixth round).
See photos and video of Notre Dame's recruiting classGains: Notre Dame has found an outstanding running back replacement in recruit
Greg Bryant of
American Heritage (Delray Beach, Fla.). It has also bolstered the offensive line with the likes of
Steven Elmer of
Midland (Mich.) and
John Montelus of
Everett (Mass.). The key recruit, however, might be linebacker
Jaylon Smith of
Bishop Luers (Fort Wayne, Ind.), who could be the right fit to replace Te'o.
Alabama
The Crimson Tide finished the year ranked No. 1 at 13-1 with a 42-14 win over Notre Dame in the BCS Championship.
Losses: Losses are plentiful for the Crimson Tide as guard Chance Warmack, cornerback Dee Milliner, defensive lineman Jesse Williams and tackle D.J. Fluker are all potential first round draft picks. Meanwhile running back Eddie Lacy, center Barrett Jones and linebacker Nico Johnson could all go in the second or third rounds.
Gains: Alabama has the top-ranked recruiting class in the country and it is particularly strong at running back and defensive line. All-time national rushing leader
Derrick Henry of
Yulee (Fla.) highlights a running back class that also includes
Tyren Jones of
Walton (Marietta, Ga.) and
Altee Tenpenny of
North Little Rock (Ark.). The defensive line includes Lemming Top 100 players
Jonathan Allen of
Stone Bridge (Ashburn, Va.) and
Tim Williams of
University Lab (Baton Rouge, La.).
Grant Hill of
Huntsville (Ala.) will help fill the void on the offensive line while the athletic
Ardarius Stewart of
Fultondale (Birmingham, Ala.) is a possible safety. Alabama also picked up the nation's top tight end recruit in
O.J. Howard of
Autauga Academy (Prattville, Ala.).
