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Friday's deadline for early entries into the 2026 NFL Draft solidified the pool of players headed to the professional ranks and confirmed to their college programs where they'll have major shoes to fill next fall. 

There are rarely surprise early entries into the NFL Draft at this point, but even knowing key departures were coming doesn't make it any easier for the teams that now have to replace some of their top talent going into 2026. Some teams have done better than others in managing the transfer portal era to reload rather than having to rebuild, while maintaining a strong pipeline of recruited talent remains the best way to avoid major steps back due to a talent exodus to the NFL. 

Eight teams were hit particularly hard by early NFL Draft entries, and while all of them have known these exits were coming, they all face significant questions about how they'll adapt in 2026 without some top contributors. Some of these programs have ample experience in simply reloading and replacing top talent, while others have to prove they can withstand key departures to sustain success. 

Ohio State 

Early entries: Carnell Tate (WR), Arvell Reese (LB), Caleb Downs (S), Kayden McDonald (DL), Max Klare (TE)

The Buckeyes will enter 2026 as co-favorites to win the national title once again, but if they are going to win their second title in three years, they will have to do so by replacing five extremely talented early entrants into the NFL Draft -- along with some talented seniors. Tate, Reese and Downs are all in the top 10 of CBS Sports' overall prospect rankings, while McDonald could hear his name called late in the first round and Klare is one of the top tight ends who projects as a Day 2 pick. 

Replacing elite talent isn't anything new for Ohio State, which is second only to Alabama in producing first-round picks over the last decade. The Buckeyes have churned out elite receivers for years and will still have Jeremiah Smith in town to lead the way on the outside. As talented as Tate is, he's far from the top concern in terms of departing players. The defense is where the biggest questions lie, because Reese, Downs and McDonald -- along with seniors Sonny Styles and Caden Curry -- were all huge contributors to the nation's top-ranked scoring defense. 

There's still plenty of talent in Columbus on that side of the ball, but it wouldn't be a surprise if they take a small step back with all of their departures. The Buckeyes will bank on a step forward on offense to make up for that (and more) with Julian Sayin in his second year with Smith and a loaded roster around him, but it will be interesting to see how Ohio State's defense shakes out with so many stars headed to the NFL. 

Indiana

Early entries: Fernando Mendoza (QB), Omar Cooper Jr. (WR), D'Angelo Ponds (CB), Carter Smith (OL)

Curt Cignetti's ability to put together an elite roster will be put to the test once again in 2026, as he'll have to replace the Heisman Trophy winner, two of his top receivers, his best corner and his left tackle from this year's national championship-winning squad. 

Mendoza is the presumptive No. 1 overall pick after a phenomenal season and both Cooper Jr. and senior Eli Sarratt depart the receiving corps. Ponds was the leader of the Hoosiers' excellent secondary and Smith protected Mendoza's blind side; they all figure to hear their names called in the first two days of this April's Draft. 

Cignetti and his staff knew all of these departures were coming and looked to fill the gaps in the portal, bringing in some star replacements -- with TCU QB Josh Hoover and Michigan State WR Nick Marsh as the biggest names brought in. The challenge of staying at the top of college football is that the better you get, the faster your talent exits -- both in terms of players to the NFL and coaches to other jobs. This year will be Cignetti's biggest test yet, but if anyone's earned the benefit of the doubt the past two years, it's him. 

Miami (FL) 

Early entries: Rueben Bain Jr. (EDGE), Francis Mauigoa (OL)

The 2025 Hurricanes were a veteran squad, and on top of some important seniors like Akeem Mesidor and Keionte Scott, they'll see a pair of stars depart their offensive and defensive fronts from the squad that came so close in the national title game. 

Bain was a game-wrecker all season off the edge and Mauigoa was a critical part of their dominant offensive line, and both could hear their names called in the top 10 in April. For a team that was led up front -- unsurprising for a Mario Cristobal coached squad -- losing some key contributors in the trenches on both sides of the ball is a concern for Miami. 

The 'Canes return most of their top skill position players, headlined by Malachi Toney and Mark Fletcher, but the losses up front are going to be incredibly tough to replace. Cristobal has long been an elite recruiter and values the trenches more than just about anyone else, but his stockpile of talent on both lines will be put to the test in 2026. 

Clemson

Early entries: Peter Woods (DL), Avieon Terrell (CB), T.J. Parker (EDGE), Antonio Williams (WR)

It's not ideal for Clemson to find themselves on this list after a disappointing 7-6 season. Woods, Terrell and Parker are all top 20 players in this year's class, while Williams projects as a Day 2 pick. Add in three more seniors (including QB Cade Klubnik) in the top 150 of CBS Sports' prospect rankings and you've got a lot talent leaving a team that already underachieved. 

Dabo Swinney has never been a big proponent of the transfer portal, and while he's been a bit more active this year, the Tigers rank 70th in the 247Sports portal rankings with just nine signees.  That means if the Tigers are going to bounce back and contend in the ACC again in 2026, they'll need an awful lot of internal improvement. 

It's a critical year for Swinney, who is on the hot seat after a struggle of a year in 2025, and the talent departing early for the NFL won't help his case as he tries to get the Tigers back in the playoff hunt. 

Georgia

Early entries: Monroe Freeling (OL), CJ Allen (LB), Christen Miller (DL), Zachariah Branch (WR)

Like Ohio State, this is nothing new for Georgia, but they do lose a couple key contributors on both sides of the ball. Allen was the heart and soul of the Bulldogs defense and Miller was a disruptive presence in the middle of the defensive line. On offense, Branch was their big play threat, particularly in the screen game, while Freeling was their top offensive lineman. 

Kirby Smart has proven over the years that he reloads rather than rebuilds, but for a Georgia team that's slipped from its perch of the nation's unquestioned best to simply being "one of the best," the 2026 season will be a test of how easily they can fill gaps in this new era. 

Notre Dame

Early entries: Jeremiyah Love (RB), Jadarian Price (RB), Billy Scrauth (OL), Aamil Wagner (OL)

Notre Dame enters the 2026 season as the co-favorite to win it all, and there's plenty of reason for optimism in South Bend. Marcus Freeman is back after plenty of rumblings about his future as coach, CJ Carr figures to improve after a strong freshman season, much of their defense returns and they will enjoy an incredibly favorable schedule. 

For all the optimism surrounding the Fighting Irish, they do lose their top two running backs and two starting offensive lineman from a team that was built to run the football. Love and Price were a dynamic 1-2 punch in the backfield, with Love expected to be the first running back selected in April. 

It'll be interesting to see how different the Irish look on offense next year without those star backs and with some newcomers up front. The excitement in South Bend is justified, but there figures to be more on Carr's shoulders next year without his veteran dynamic backs behind him. 

Tennessee

Early entries: Jermod McCoy (CB), Chris Brazzell II (WR), Colton Hood (CB), Arion Carter (LB)

Like Clemson, alarm bells go off for me when this many top-100 early entrants leave a team that didn't live up to expectations. They will lose two top corners and a linebacker from a defense that finished the year 91st in the country in scoring. That's a real concern, and add in the departure of a second round talent at receiver and there's work to be done for Josh Heupel heading into his sixth year in Knoxville. 

The Volunteers hit the portal hard to replenish their depth in the secondary, and if he's going to avoid the kind of hot seat talk that tends to follow a couple of middling seasons at Tennessee, Heupel will need to have hit big time and see some serious defensive improvement in 2026. 

Utah

Early entries: Spencer Fano (OL), Caleb Lomu (OL), Logan Fano (DL)

Utah doesn't lose the volume of some of these other programs, but any time you see two first round offensive tackles leave a program predicated on running the ball, it's a bit concerning. 

That'll be the challenge facing Morgan Scalley in his first season at the helm in Salt Lake City, as he not only has to replace a legend in Kyle Whittingham, but he has to get the most out of an offense that loses it's two best players on the line. If the Utes are going to stay in the conversation for the Big 12 title and a Playoff berth in 2026, they'll need to replenish up front.