A trio of underclassmen said goodbye to the University of Alabama on Friday.

But even before that, a number of seniors played their final game for the Crimson Tide against Clemson in Tampa, Florida.

With so much talent moving on to the NFL, you’d think there would be cause for concern heading into next season.

But you’d be wrong.

Alabama is No. 1 in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25 for a reason.

Here’s a primer on how coach Nick Saban plans to reload and replace several of the Tide's departing stars:

Jonah Williams is a likely candidate to replace Cam Robinson -- who has declared for the NFL draft -- at left tackle in 2017. Andy Altenburger/Icon Sportswire

Offensive line: Cam Robinson

Not every right tackle translates to the left side, but it’s not the most unusual position change, either. Besides, Jonah Williams is used to it, having protected Washington quarterback Jake Browning’s blind side in high school. After a standout freshman season, Williams is a natural fit to slide over to left tackle. And if that isn’t in the cards, there are other options, including returning players Lester Cotton and Matt Womack. Early enrollee Alex Leatherwood, ESPN’s No. 3-rated offensive tackle, and Elliot Baker, ESPN’s No. 1-rated junior college offensive tackle, are both possibilities as well, if they can grasp the playbook and get up to speed in time.

Wide receiver: ArDarius Stewart

The issue of depth at wide receiver didn’t get talked about a lot -- although Saban did harp on it a few times -- but it was a bit of a sore spot for Alabama throughout the season. There simply wasn’t much overall production, with no receiver outside of Stewart and Calvin Ridley with more than 15 receptions. With Gehrig Dieter, the team’s fourth-leading receiver, also gone, it’s time for some new names to step up. There are grumblings that former blue-chip prospect Robert Foster might seek to transfer, leaving Cam Sims and Trevon Diggs as returning players with experience. Sims, at 6-foot-5, offers a potential possession receiver on the outside, and Diggs, who played a good bit on special teams, has loads of playmaking ability but struggles with consistency. If you’re looking for a standout true freshman a la Amari Cooper or Ridley, your best bet might be a fellow South Floridian, Jerry Jeudy, ESPN’s No. 3-ranked receiver.

Safety: Eddie Jackson

Obviously, this is an issue Alabama got a jump on dating back to Jackson’s broken leg against Texas A&M. But the real question is whether Saban wants to keep Minkah Fitzpatrick at safety or move him to corner. If he moves the former freshman All-American, he has options, though. Former four-star prospect Hootie Jones played quite a bit down the stretch and has experience in the system, but he’s a bigger-bodied strong-safety type. Deionte Thompson has less experience, but he is a slightly more athletic option and fits the free safety mold. A potential wild card, however, might be veteran cornerback Tony Brown, who hasn’t spent much time at safety but could make the transition like Jackson did early in his career. Brown certainly has the tackling ability needed for the position.

Cornerback: Marlon Humphrey

The good news for Saban and defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt is that Anthony Averett developed into one of the better cornerbacks in the league out of nowhere this past season. And rather than turn pro, he’s coming back to help anchor the secondary. But now you have to find someone to start opposite him. Will that be Fitzpatrick? He certainly has the ability and experience. But if coaches decide he’s a better fit at safety, there are a couple of names to turn to, including Brown and longtime reserve Levi Wallace. Shyheim Carter, who played in nine games as a freshman, is another candidate, along with signee Jhavonte Dean, ESPN’s No. 2-ranked junior college cornerback.

Outside linebacker: Ryan Anderson and Tim Williams

This is a tough pill to swallow, losing two of the team’s top three sack artists the past two seasons. Anderson and Williams were monsters on the outside, with one SEC offensive coordinator labeling the pair as “elite” talents. But it’s not as if Alabama hasn’t been recruiting the position the past few years. In fact, we’ve already seen glimpses of their potential replacements, the most noticeable being Christian Miller and Anfernee Jennings. Both players saw the field a bunch down the stretch, combining for four sacks. Another more under-the-radar possibility would be moving Rashaan Evans back outside. It would be tough after he started his career there and made the transition inside, but his strength (rushing the passer) and weakness (consistency in coverage) seem to suggest he’s a better fit at his former position.

Linebacker Rashaan Evans impressed after replacing the injured Shaun Dion Hamilton in the SEC title game. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Middle linebacker: Reuben Foster

Again, this could easily be where Evans winds up staying. When Shaun Dion Hamilton went down against Florida, it was Evans who was first off the bench for a reason. But if it’s not him, pay attention to rising sophomore Mack Wilson. Some of the hits he delivered on special teams were eerily reminiscent of a young Reuben Foster. If he can get ahold of the playbook, he has the talent to be a star in the SEC. One other possibility is Keith Holcombe, a redshirt sophomore from Tuscaloosa, who has good size at 6-4, 227 pounds and played well in a limited role this past season with 24 tackles. And at the risk of getting ahead of ourselves, don’t forget super recruit Dylan Moses, a five-star and ESPN’s No. 1-ranked athlete, who enrolled early and could fit at either outside or inside linebacker.

Defensive line: Jonathan Allen and Dalvin Tomlinson

This isn’t going to be as seamless a transition as it was this past year. After all, it’s not often you have a player like Allen turning down the potential to be a first- or second-round pick. But even with Allen and Tomlinson off to the NFL, Alabama has bodies for the trenches. Da’Shawn Hand might be the highest profile of the bunch. The former top recruit has played here and there in three seasons, and he had a strong junior season as a reserve with a pair of sacks and five quarterback hurries. Outside of Hand, there are a bunch of 300-plus-pound linemen like Raekwon Davis, O.J. Smith, Joshua Frazier and Johnny Dwight, who all have been in the system for at least one year.