The list of players declaring for the NFL draft is growing faster than my nose hair and prestige schools are losing some of their top-tier talent rapidly.  Among some of the biggest schools getting hit by the draft plague is USC who will lose star players like wide out and Biletnikoff award winner Marqise Lee, safety Dion Bailey, and versatile defensive lineman George Uko.  Although losing players is a part of the game USC will have a difficult time replacing these significant pieces and will turn to recruiting to fill the void lost by these key players.  Here's a look at the biggest names USC will lose and what recruits they hope can soften the blow sooner than later.  

Marqise Lee, Wide Receiver 

By far the biggest blow for the Trojans, Lee was one of the most dominant players in the country at times.  After catching a ludicrous 118 balls for over 1,700 yards and 14 touchdowns this machine won the Bilenikoff award for best receiver in 2012.  This season Lee was plagued by injuries and inconsistent quarterback play, but finished the year and his career strong catching two touchdown passes in the Las Vegas Bowl.  

Replacement: Rahshead Johnson, Athlete

To be fair it will be close to impossible to replace such an impactful player like Lee, but Johnson might be the next closest thing.  Johnson is a four-star recruit that measures in at just 5'10" 164-pounds, but will grow into his big frame as time goes on.  Johnson is listed as an athlete as he is an explosive and versatile player that can do a little bit of everything.  His position is yet to be determined but given his ability to take any play to the house Johnson could be the play maker the Trojans need to heal the sting of a loss like Lee. 

Dion Bailey, Safety  

Bailey was converted to the safety position after playing linebacker the previous two years.  His versatility is what should intrigue teams the most at the next level with his ability to sub into linebacker during passing downs.  As a safety in the NFL, Bailey would make an excellent defender underneath in run support; however, he could be a liability playing deep coverage over the top until he adjusts to the demands of the position full time.  None the less Bailey played a huge part on the defensive ball for the Trojans.

Replacement: John Plattenburg, Safety 

Plattenburg hails from Houston, Texas and measures in 5'10" 179 as of now.  Just a three star recruit Plattenburg is the best safety the Trojans have recruited as of now and will have big shoes to fill in the vacancy Bailey has left, but might not have to do it all on his own.  The Trojans also nabbed linebacker Uchenna Nwosu to help soften the blow as Bailey played linebacker for two seasons as well.  

George Uko, Defensive Line

Uko was highly impressive in 2013 making himself a disruptive player all over the defensive line recording 36 tackles, seven tackles for loss, five sacks, one forced fumble, and not one, but two blocked kicks.  At 6'3" 275-pounds this red shirt junior will be a tough player to replace.  

Replacement:  Malik Dorton, Defensive End and Don Hill, Defensive End

Its seems the Trojans never have a lack of solid defensive linemen at hand and that won't be changing anytime soon.  Dorton is a hometown boy from Bellflower, California and is a four-star recruit and is the 21st best player at his position coming out of high school according to ESPN.  Hill meanwhile isn't far behind ranked as the 28th best defensive end at 6'4" 235-pounds ESPN gave him a prospect score of 81 out of 100.  Between the two the loss of Uko will be replaceable assuming one of them can slide into the interior of the line every now and again.  

Marcus Martin, Center

Martin was another valuable and versatile piece for USC as he started 33 games at both the guard and center position while being selected to the first-team Pac-12.  

Replacement:  Viane Talamaiavo, Guard and Toa Lobendahn

Talamaiavo comes in as USC's best recruit according to ESPN to date.  This four-star recruit is fifth best at his position in the country and the ninth best recruit in his home state of California.  The jury is still out on if he can slide over to the center position but judging by his raw talent I can't see that being a problem.  Lobendahn excels at pass blocking and received offers from programs such as Texas A&M, Florida, Oregon, Stanford, and UCLA.  These two represent two of the Trojans top three recruits thus far and should make the biggest impact right away.