This season will start the slide back to true mediocrity and start the clock on Fed leaving in the next 3 years. I hope it's not the case but I think it is....
I have no problem with your half-empty perspective on 2017, but what makes you say "slide back"? Do you see 2018 being bad also?
Defensively, the front 7 will be crazy deep and experienced unless Andre Smith goes early. Aside from Myles Dorn we don't know what the secondary will look like, but Rene, Cotman, Sails, Shaw were all 4*, so it wouldn't be crazy to expect our corners to at least be talented. I'm a tad worried about Safety, but not by much.
Offensively we lose Austin Proehl, The LSU QB, and Spain, Khaleil Rodgers, Cam Dillard, RJ Prince all graduate. So the OL could lose a bunch of starters, making us a little inexperienced. ARW, Cauthen, Mollette, Roscoe, Dyami, Corrales, Thomas Jackson - a few will shine by then.
But that could be just 5 starters from the entire O leaving and just 3 starters from the entire D (4 if you include Cayson in our rare 3-person LB package).