Alabama hired offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, inserted an athletic quarterback and took the governor off the playbook in 2014, straying from the Tide’s usual formula.

Part of that must’ve been by design, a way to keep the team successful despite a lagging defense.

Bama’s big, lumbering defensive front has drawn attention with offenses operating at ever-faster tempos, but the back end of the defense is at least as responsible for the step back from the team’s national championship units. The Tide gave up 3,164 passing yards in ’14, the most of the Nick Saban era. and finished 11th in the SEC in pass defense. Worse, the team loses its best three safeties, including likely first-round pick Landon Collins.

But there are several reasons for optimism. After spending a season without a secondary coach, splitting coaching duties at the position between himself and defensive coordinator Kirby Smart, Saban hired former Chicago Bears assistant Mel Tucker. And the team continues to load up on talent, signing four(!) different five-star cornerbacks in the last two classes.

All that equates to what should be a fierce (and vital) competition this spring in the secondary.

Cornerback may be the epicenter of the team’s spring practice.

Cyrus Jones emerged as a viable starter last season, and could be an outright star in 2015. He’s got a cocky, unshakable self-belief and short memory that works well for cover corners. A few writers had a running joke about Jones this season — he could allow his receiver to get wide open, watch his man drop an easy catch and then pound his chest and bark as if he’d just won a jump ball with Calvin Johnson. But he improved throughout the year, leading the Tide with 13 pass breakups, and he’s likely headed to the NFL after next season.

The other corner spot is wide open, especially with Tucker arriving to evaluate them. Veterans Eddie Jackson and Bradley Sylve have been inconsistent, while rising sophomore Tony Brown mostly played as a backup. It’s hard to imagine incoming freshmen Kendall Sheffield or Minkah Fitzpatrick winning the job, especially since they won’t participate in spring practice.

Redshirt freshman Marlon Humphrey is getting a ton of attention in the media as a guy who could emerge as the other starter. A surprise redshirt in ’14, AL.com recently ranked the Hoover High School product as the 10th-best returning defensive back in the SEC.

At 6-foot-1 and 186 pounds, he already is a superstar on the Alabama track team, part of a school-record 1,600-meter relay team. He’s clearly got the speed to play the position, but he also has strong ball skills and the strength to jam receivers at the line of scrimmage. This spring will be huge for his development, and with the Tide just as (or more) likely to play nickel as it is to line up in its “base” 3-4, he’s got a chance to be a major factor whether as the second starter or as a third corner if the team gives Jackson the nod.

The safety position may be just as wide open. Geno Smith saw his role gradually increase as a true freshman cornerback in ’12 and then a nickelback and safety. Now he’s a a senior and a good bet to serve as the de facto leader. He’s started at the team’s Star (nickel) and Money (dime) positions and has experience at free safety, which may be his ’15 position. He’s an adept tackler and retained coverage skills from his days as a cornerback.

Jabriel Washington likely will back up Smith at free safety.

Strong safety is a bigger question mark. Maurice Smith, a versatile corner, may slide to that position. Or perhaps Hootie Jones, a rising sophomore at 6-foot-2 and 221 pounds, will emerge as a starter if he overwhelms Tucker and the coaches this spring. Jones made his biggest contributions on special teams as a freshman, but he’ll start to play a role on defense in ’15 in some form or fashion.

Deionte Thompson and Ronnie Harrison, both four-star early enrollees, will have a rare opportunity to earn playing time on defense, not just special teams, as true freshmen. Harrison is the early favorite out of the two.

With Alabama often deploying a fifth or even a sixth defensive back, players like Smith, Jones, Harrison and Thompson may be interchangeable to an extent, so it’s more about finding the most talented and ready players to plug into those final spots. Many of those players also will be expected to be leaders on the special teams coverage units.

Alabama has recruited defensive backs as well as any school in the country the last two years, but it’s time the Tide returns to developing first-round talent at the position, especially at cornerback. One of the team’s biggest priorities this spring should be developing all these players, and figuring out which ones give the defense the best chance to win.