Welcome to the big leagues. The state of Alabama produced 6 underclassmen into this year's draft, 3 from Alabama, and 3 from Auburn (including Heisman winner Cam Newton).
What bearing does this have on the 2011 season and beyond?
Alabama: Losing 3 top tier Juniors like Julio Jones, Mark Ingram, and Marcel Dareus is going to hurt the Tide. No doubt about that. Say goodbye to your go-to WR, your 2009 Heisman RB, and your 2009 BCSCG Defensive MVP. All 3 players are projected 1st-round picks in the 2011 NFL draft. Aside from the statistics and yardage, you have to give some credit to the leadership of this class. Since Day 1 on campus, Julio was a leader on and off the field. Ingram and Dareus excelled as underclassmen on Bama's 2009 title run. I think one of the bigger things to watch for next year is how this team picks itself up when the game is on the line. I'm also interested to see the attitude and mindset of the team as a whole.
Fortunately, Bama only loses a few other key pieces from this year's 10-3 squad, most notably QB Greg McElroy. Despite having to replace their starting QB, WR, RB, and DE, the Tide is still poised to contend for the national championship, thanks to continued stellar recruiting efforts by Nick Saban and co. And that, my friends, is what you call a successful program.
Auburn:
