Coming off two straight subpar seasons, Auburn finished spring practice filled with more uncertainty than optimism.

Questions abound on The Plains, beginning with the most important one: Will the Tigers do enough this season to help Gus Malzahn keep his job?

To that end, which QB will Malzahn choose to run his offense? Will he go with an upperclassman or take a chance on an unproven recruit?

How will the defense perform under new coordinator Kevin Steele? And will Carl Lawson finally shake off injuries to regain his role as one of the nation’s top pass rushers?

Which position or play will determine the outcome of the season? We’ll have to wait another four months to start getting that answer, but for now we can break down Auburn’s strengths and weaknesses after spring practice.

Strengths

  • Running backs: Despite losing Peyton Barber to the NFL, the Tigers still have depth at this position. It starts with Jovon Robinson, who is coming off a season in which he averaged 5.5 yards per carry over eight games. He should presumably be Auburn’s next 1,000-yard rusher provided he stays healthy. Roc Thomas was even better than Robinson per touch, averaging 6.1 yards on 43 rushes, so he’s in the mix as well. Three-star early enrollee Malik Miller will also battle for carries.
  • Offensive line: The Tigers’ top five offensive linemen are left tackle Austin Golson, left guard Alex Kozan, center Xavier Dampeer, right guard Braden Smith and right tackle Robert Leff. Golson, last year’s starting center, is switching positions after having played right tackle during his Ole Miss days. The reserves include Texas transfer Darius James, Marquel Harrell, Kaleb Kim and Tyler Carr from left to right, with Golson serving as the backup center. So this group has depth and experience, which can’t be said as easily about Auburn’s signal-callers.
  • Kicking game: Auburn can boast about having one of the best place kickers in the country. Daniel Carlson tied for the SEC lead in field goals made (23) and led in field goal percentage (85.2) last season en route to being named a finalist for the Lou Groza Award, which is given annually to the nation’s best kicker. Don’t be surprised if the rising junior is nominated again in 2016. Malzahn has a lot on his plate, but this is one of the few areas on the team he doesn’t have to worry about.

Weaknesses

  • Quarterbacks: What a difference a year makes. Jeremy Johnson went into last season with Heisman Trophy build-up, and his status as Auburn’s starter was crystal clear. But this year, Malzahn might need a crystal ball to make his decision on a starter. Johnson and fellow returnee Sean White each had some positive moments last season, but you get the sense that if Malzahn was sold on either one of these guys, he would have announced his starter by now. Don’t be surprised if he hands the job to John Franklin III simply because he feels the team needs a change. Incoming freshman Woody Barrett could be the long-term answer.
  • Lack of depth at linebacker: All three starters from last year — Kris Frost, Cassanova McKinzy and Justin Garrett — are gone, which means that Tre’ Williams, who made 55 tackles in 12 games a season ago, is Auburn’s most experienced returning linebacker. He should start, along with T.J. Neal, a graduate transfer from Illinois. Deshaun Davis and Darrell Williams could also be options to start after getting looks with the first team this spring.
  • Injuries: Three Tigers missed all of spring camp because they were banged up. Safety Tray Matthews and Kerryon Johnson — who was expected to compete for the starting running back job along with Robinson, Thomas and Miller — are recovering from shoulder surgeries. Defensive back Jeremiah Dinson, who is rehabbing a knee injury he suffered last November, also missed spring practices.