OK, I'm going to try to take a stab at this. Before I make a depth chart, first, let's see if I have it right who is leaving, transferring, or not playing, and who will be back due to bonus covid years.

Transferred out via portal:
Beler, McCracken, Daxon, Blauser Hankins, Kelly, Mullins, Vakos, Collier

Used up eligibility:
Ross, Neatherton, Ramer, Meservy, Rodgers, Dugan, Stai, Caesar, McCrory, Drake Sanders, Floyd, Gregory, Wieland

Not on Roster:
Van Every, McDonald, Davies, Kammerer, Scales, Vandenberg

Back with a bonus year:
Burton, Allison, Danneker, Watkins, Mathews, Bonner, Thompson, Houston, Birchette

OK, now for the "Depth Chart". I'm not going to include any true Freshmen or new transfers except for kickers. At least one or two always manages to make the chart, but I'm not going to guess who that might be, except for kickers, where there is no one else. I'm also not going to be creative; this is just based on last year's depth charts. Some players will move up and surprise, of course, and the final depth chart won't look like this.

Offense:
WR-X Jones Sr, Rhone R So
WR-F Wiglusz Gr or Walton R-5, Wilburn R RJr
WR-Z Cross Jr, Gossett RSo
Other WR: Brown R Jr, Harris RFr, Davis RSo, McDole RFr
TE Foster RSr or Kacmarek RSo, Burton Gr, Butler, RSo
Other TE: Fullam RFr, Molnar RFr
QB: Rourke RSr, Navarro RJr or Harris RJr, Wither RFr, Winters Fr
RB: Bangura RSo or Allison 5th, McCormick RSo, Toledo RSo
Other RB: Kitrell RJr, Hunter RSo, Hunt Fr
LT: Amburgey RSr, Habinowski RJr
LG: Danneker Gr
C: Titsworth RSr
RG Atkinson RSr
RT Rhodes RJr, Dennison RJr, Arter, RJr
Other OL: Weatherspoon RSo, Watson RFr, Jackson Gr, Oakes RSr, Shelby RFr, Rogers RSo, Skelly RSo, Wright RFr

Defense:
RDE: Watkins Gr, Hunter, RSr, Burton RSr
LDE: Bonner Gr, Weaver RSo, Taylor RSr Patterson RSo
Other DE: Logan So
DT: Matthews Gr, Buell RSr, Henderson RSo, Mayfield RJr, Jones RFr
NT: Middlebrook RJr, Wollard RJr
Other DT: Gorman Fr, Farrier RJr
Nickle: Williams So, Stevens RJr, Oseni Jr
MLB: Thompson Gr
WLB: Houston Gr, Quinn RSo
Other LB: Schmitz Fr, Taylor RSo, Campolieti RSr
SS: Brawley So, Motton RSo
FS: Johnson RSr
Other S: Russ RSo, Wood R5, Dorsey RJr, Reynolds Gr, Karagosian RFr, Fries RFr
FC Birchette R-Gr, Ryder So
BC: Cox RSo, Parodie RJr
Other CB: McCullum RJr, Pearson Jr, Bannister Fr

PK Spetic Fr or Kasee Fr
P Wilson R-Jr
LS Holloway Gr, Berfeld RFr
KOR Wilburn or Jones
PR Wiglusz or Cox

As expected, the offense will be outstanding. Jones and Atkinson will be the only new starters, and both have plenty of experience, and will be solid replacements.

The defense is a lot scarier. In particular, NT has no one back with much experience, and there are no experienced backups at LB. Safety is also a concern, but there are a lot of names there. Perhaps we'll see one or more Safeties move to LB to shore things up a bit.

I projected that Quinn will move back to LB based on the fact that there appears to be no depth at all at LB, and quite a bit at RB. If he stays at RB, that could mean that he will be an outstanding RB, or that there is more depth than it appears at LB, or both.

We just need to survive the next transfer portal window in May. I'm feeling pretty good about the offense, even if we lose a few more to the portal but defense has a lot of question marks especially on the D-line and Safety positions.

Your actual knowledge is probably right then. Perhaps RB will be a 3-headed monster, with Allison, Bangura, and Quinn at the top. Who will back up Thompson and Houston at LB, then? We shall see...

To me, the positions of concern (for now) are NT, MLB, WLB, SS, and FS.

The bottom line is that there are still some big holes on defense to fill, but without the 6 key players returning with bonus "covid years", it would have been a disastrous depletion. I will make three posts, one for each major defensive group. This one will cover the defensive line. Ohio got 3 key players back with Covid years, Bonner, Watkins, and Mathews. With the top three NT leaving, that still leaves a gaping hole at NT. My guess is that Matthews will move over to NT, and Buell will start at DT, but perhaps some of the deep backups at NT will surprise us, or perhaps Ohio will find a NT in the portal.

Here are the stats for the returning DL returning:
Watkins 46 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 2 passes defended, 2 fumbles forced
Matthews 26 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 fumble forced
Bonner 14 tackles, 1 fumble recovered
Weaver 14 tackles, 1 pass defended
Buell 9 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 pass defended
Hunter 7 tackles
Burton 6 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 fumble forced
Henderson 4 tackles,
Taylor 1 tackle
Middlebrook 1 tackle

These are the DL Lost:
McCrory 63 tackles, 4 sacks, 3 passes defended, 2 fumbles forced, 2 recovered
Caeser 28 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 1 pass defended, 1 fumble forced
Dugan 26 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception, 1 fumble forced
McCracken 8 tackles, 1 pass defended
Daxon 3 tackles

Total returning:
LDE+RDE: 88 tackles, 6 sacks, 3 PD, 3 FF, 1 FR
DT+NT: 40 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 1 PD, 1 FF

Total Lost:
LDE+RDE: 63 tackles, 4 sacks, 4 PD, 2 FF, 2 FR
DT+NT: 39 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 2 PD

So, on the defensive line, 56% productivity returns. Without the bonus covid years for Watkins, Matthews, and Bonner it would have been an ugly 18%.

For the DBs, I will lump the CB together and the S/Nickles together.

Returning S/Nickles:
FS Johnson 43 Tackles
N Williams 31 tackles, 1 sack, 1 FR
SS Brawley 20 tackles, 1 sack
N Stevens 13 tackles
N Oseni 1 tackles
SS Motten
Total returning: 108 tackles, 2 sacks 1 FR

Lost S/Nickles:
FS Floyd 74 tackles, 2 sacks 5 PD, 1 Int, 1 FF
N Sanders 61 tackles 1 Sack, 5 PD, 3 Int
SS Drake 51 tackles, 4 PD, 3 Int, 1 FF
S Mullins 3 tackles
S Scales 2 tackles
Total lost: 191 tackles, 2 sacks, 14 passes defended, 7 int, 2 FF
Only 36% of the tackles remain, but more importantly, all of the passes defended and all of the interceptions are gone.

Returning cornerbacks:
Cox 51 tackles, 6 PD, 3 int, 2 FF, 1 FR
Birchette 36 tackles, 8 PD
Parodie 29 tackles, 8 PD
Ryder 2 tackles
McCullum 1 tackle
Total returning: 120 tackles, 22 PD, 3 int, 2 FF, 2 FR

Cornerbacks lost:
Gregory 13 tackles, .5 sack

So, virtually all the experience at CB returns, 90% of the tackles, and all of the passes defended and interceptions.


Looking at the secondary as a whole:
Total returning: 228 tackles, 2 sacks, 22 PD, 3 Int, 2 FF, 3 FR
Total lost: 204 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 14 PD, 7 int, 2 FF

So, about half, a bit over half the tackles and passes defended, but under half on sacks and interceptions.

What these stats don’t show is how many tackles were missed and how many wide open receivers there were when some of these players were on the field. I could have probably scored on some of those plays and I can’t run 5 yards. Not meant to say that they didn’t make a lot of good plays, but there were plenty of bad ones that have to be cleaned up. Hopefully they will be,