As if losing four of their last five games and five of the last seven weren’t enough to weigh heavy on the minds of the Aggies this offseason, replacing some pretty big-name players only adds to the angst.

Here are five key roster decisions facing Texas A&M:

Quarterback

Kevin Sumlin was able to offset the transfer of two 5-star quarterbacks last season with the addition of Oklahoma graduate transfer Trevor Knight. It bought Sumlin some time at the critical position and saved face, at least temporarily. While Knight performed above and beyond expectations, his one-year rental is now expired and it’s back to the drawing board.

And while several candidates line up to seize the role, none have the star-power nor the leadership that Knight brought to the table. JUCO Jake Hubenak appears to be the leader, but the door is wide open for redshirt freshman Nick Starkel or incoming freshmen Kellen Mond and Connor Blumrick.

Wide receiver

For the last several years, this is the position that has set the Aggies apart from the rest of the SEC. No team has been able to collect the level of talent at the position. But those players are now beginning to either run out of eligibility or opt early for the NFL Draft.

Gone are senior Josh Reynolds and juniors Ricky Seals-Jones and Speedy Noil. That’s a trio of receivers unmatched in the SEC. How you replace them is a question there may not be an answer to. Of course, Christian Kirk will be the go-to receiver in 2017, but keeping the opposition from double-teaming him will be a tall task.

Defensive end

It’s one thing to lose a defensive end with the talent of senior Daeshon Hall. But when you lose him and junior Myles Garrett, it’s a completely different story. The two terrorized opposing offenses and combined to form one of the nation’s most impressive set of bookends.

Seniors Qualen Cunningham and Jarrett Johnson will have to step up, otherwise the youth movement begins at the position.

Linebacker

The Aggies were weak at linebacker in 2015. The corps improved this season, largely due to the emergence of Shaan Washington, who led the Aggies in tackles with 104, including a team-high 59 assists. But the senior leaves a huge void at the position.

He passes the baton to a group of juniors-to-be that have displayed some talent and between them could collectively pick up the slack. That group includes Otaro Alaka, Richard Moore and Cullen Gillaspia. Freshman Tyrel Dodson also played very well and made it into all 13 games.

Strong safety

The Aggies will be losing senior Justin Evans, the team leader in interceptions (4) and second on the team in tackles with 87. Fortunately, junior Armani Watts, a leader on the team in tackles two years ago, has decided to return for his senior year. Equally fortunate is Donovan Wilson coming back for his senior season, and he could step in for Evans to play an even larger role in 2017.