How can Alabama replace Reggie Ragland, who’s headed for the promised land of the NFL after a stellar senior season?

We’re talking about a Lombardi Award semifinalist, a finalist for the Bednarik Award and Nagurski Trophy. A player who made 102 tackles, 6.5 of them for loss and 60 of them solo.

It won’t be an easy feat, but here’s a look at how it can be done.

The Reuben Foster Show – You might think of Foster as Ragland’s understudy in 2015. The 6-foot-1, 240-pound senior should step into a leadership role in 2016. He was second to Ragland in 2015 with 73 tackles, eight of them for a loss, and nine pass breakups while serving primarily as inside linebacker.

Foster has led linebackers through individual drills with new defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt every day this spring, 247Sports reported.

“He’s a leader,” outside linebacker Ryan Anderson said this spring. “Everybody respects him. When he says something, everybody listens.”

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. recently said Foster may be even better in the long run than Ragland, who is projected as a first-round pick.

“Reuben Foster gets from Point A to Point B faster when I watch them,” he said on a recent conference call. “When I look at comparisons, I don’t think (Ragland) is as fast or as athletic as Foster. I think Foster, next year, will be a better prospect than Ragland is this year.”

Other seniors – Anderson, who mostly saw action on third downs, is likely to be a starter in 2016. He tallied 37 tackles and six sacks in 2015.

Perhaps this should put fear into SEC offenses: After Bama’s 38-0 beatdown of Michigan State in the College Football Playoff semifinal, a game in which Anderson made three tackles — two for a loss — and a sack in the first half alone, he said, “I feel like I’ve still got a lot of improvement to make. I can be a whole lot better.”

Look for Tim Williams to also have a big year. Playing in all 15 games in 2015, the 6-foot-4, 237-pound linebacker was second on the team with 10.5 sacks and also notched 12.5 tackles for loss. An excellent pass rusher, he’s attempting to play more of an every-down role in 2016.

Younger guns – Crimson Tide fan should expect to see plenty of Shaun Dion Hamilton in 2016. The 6-foot, 232-pound junior started five games in 2015, notching 27 tackles primarily at the WILL.

“I’m just going to do whatever I can to better my team, do whatever the coaches ask me to do,” he said after a recent practice.

Hamilton noted the unit, which in 2015 led the nation in rush defense (75.7 ypg), finished third in scoring defense (15.1 ppg) and finished third in total defense (276.3 ypg) is “going to have a lot of younger guys who are going to have to step up.”

That could include Ben Davis, the nation’s highest-rated inside linebacker, a 6-foot-2, 240-pounder who coaches hope can step in and contribute quickly in 2016. Bama also nabbed on signing day the second-highest outside linebacker prospect, Lyndell Wilson, who’s expected to be plugged in this year.