[OutsiderFan]

People wondered if Stanford could replace DeCastro and Martin last year.  Alabama loses three similarly talented guys in G Wormack, C and jack of all trades Jones, and T Fluker.  They also lose at least three starters on defense.  As others have said, everyone has to replace key players every year. 

OL starts is one of the greatest predictors of a team's success.  I don't know how many Stanford will have going into 2013, but it's quite a lot, between Yankey, Fleming, Danser, and Wilkes, probably 70 at least.  You throw in a returning QB who won all his starts and a Defense that returns 9/11 starters from the Rose Bowl winning lineup, and that's a stronger foundation to go into a new season with than most teams in the country have.

It seems reasonable to expect the WRs will improve in 2013 and Stanford will have lots of TE talent to mix and match. 

As for RB, the evidence suggests Wilkerson is not going to be 'the guy' to replace Taylor.  IMO, Wright, Sanders, Seale, and Young will get more carries combined than Wilkerson, and ultimately Sanders will assume the starting role.  But they may need to tweak the running game a bit for Sanders because his game is speed and quickness in open space, not power.  It will be quite interesting to see how Sanders is incorporated and if/how the schemes change to take advantage of his prodigious talents.

[OutsiderFan]

People wondered if Stanford could replace DeCastro and Martin last year.  Alabama loses three similarly talented guys in G Wormack, C and jack of all trades Jones, and T Fluker.  They also lose at least three starters on defense.  As others have said, everyone has to replace key players every year. 

OL starts is one of the greatest predictors of a team's success.  I don't know how many Stanford will have going into 2013, but it's quite a lot, between Yankey, Fleming, Danser, and Wilkes, probably 70 at least.  You throw in a returning QB who won all his starts and a Defense that returns 9/11 starters from the Rose Bowl winning lineup, and that's a stronger foundation to go into a new season with than most teams in the country have.

It seems reasonable to expect the WRs will improve in 2013 and Stanford will have lots of TE talent to mix and match. 

As for RB, the evidence suggests Wilkerson is not going to be 'the guy' to replace Taylor.  IMO, Wright, Sanders, Seale, and Young will get more carries combined than Wilkerson, and ultimately Sanders will assume the starting role.  But they may need to tweak the running game a bit for Sanders because his game is speed and quickness in open space, not power.  It will be quite interesting to see how Sanders is incorporated and if/how the schemes change to take advantage of his prodigious talents.