Spring game: April 9, kickoff TBA

Each spring promises a new beginning, and perhaps no team in America is looking forward to putting 2015 in the rear view more so than Auburn.

Auburn entered 2015 ranked No. 6 in the country. The Tigers fell so far, so fast that they no longer received a vote after the Week 4 AP Poll.

Much will be new in 2016, beginning, perhaps, with a new quarterback.

The Tigers return just 11 starters, second-fewest in the SEC, ahead of only Ole Miss.

They’ll debut a new defensive coordinator for the third consecutive season.

With changes coming, a guide, then, to a fresh start in 2016.

Three big questions

1. Who wins the quarterback job?

My sense all last season was that Auburn played more like Auburn with Jeremy Johnson than Sean White, but head coaches don’t bring in JUCO or graduate transfer quarterbacks to sit and watch.

Momentum is building for a switch to John Franklin III, and he’s certainly approaching this spring like it’s his job to lose.

“Coach (Gus Malzahn) told me he needed somebody and he got Cam (Newton), then he needed somebody and got Nick Marshall,” Franklin told AL.com in December. “Now he needs somebody so he came and got me. I’m just ready to go to work and earn my spot the right way and get the ball rolling with everything.”

2. Who will protect the quarterback?

Auburn lost both starting tackles (more on that below), further stressing the need for a mobile quarterback. Revamping that line is every bit as important as settling on a quarterback because if they don’t get the line right, it won’t matter who lines up behind center.

3. Will Auburn’s defense be better under Kevin Steele and Wesley McGriff?

Not long after LSU hung 45 points on Auburn in a blowout in Baton Rouge, some outlets were wondering whether rehiring Will Muschamp as defensive coordinator was a bad decision.

The bowl game provided more ammunition, when the Tigers — without Muschamp — held NFL prospect Paxton Lynch to 106 yards passing and intercepted him once in a 31-10 victory over Memphis.

Hiring Steele was roundly applauded, but if there’s substantial improvement in 2016, it likely will be because Carl Lawson and Montravius Adams decided to return and Byron Cowart developed into the force his high school recruiting grades suggested he would be.

Newcomers to watch

Auburn had the N0. 9-ranked recruiting class in the country, fifth-best in the SEC. It reloaded on defense, despite missing on Ben Davis.

But the player Tigers fans are most excited about is Franklin, a 6-2, 180-pound JUCO dual-threat quarterback.

Franklin passed for 733 yards last season at East Mississippi Community College, where he landed after leaving Florida State.

Franklin ran for more touchdowns last season (9) than he passed for (7).

Derrick Brown, the Tigers’ lone five-star signee, was the No. 9 overall player in the class and No. 4-ranked defensive tackle. Marlon Davidson, the No. 30 overall player and No. 4-ranked defensive end, could push Cowart for playing time.

Offensive starters to replace

  • RB Peyton Barber
  • OT Shon Coleman
  • WR Ricardo Louis
  • WR Melvin Ray
  • WR Duke Williams
  • OT Avery Young

Auburn dealt with Williams’ departure during the season, but its receiving corps was nearly depleted and needs resetting.

Jason Smith will have a larger role in 2016. Marcus Davis earned some starts after Williams’ dismissal, and while he finished second on the team with 30 receptions, he averaged just just 6.0 yards per catch.

Barber’s late decision to enter the NFL Draft was a mild surprise, but once Jovon Robinson returned from injury, he became the primary running threat, and that pecking order likely would have remained the same in 2016 had Barber returned.

With Kerryon Johnson and Roc Thomas also returning, Auburn’s RB situation in 2016 is the least of its concerns.

Defensive starters to replace

  • S Blake Countess
  • LB Kris Frost
  • LB Justin Garrett
  • CB Jonathan Jones
  • LB Cassanova McKinzy

The good news is it could have been worse. Retaining Lawson and Adams was essential.

AL.com projects Tre’ Williams, Deshaun Davis and Jeff Holland to replace the three outgoing linebackers. Williams was a five-star recruit in 2014, the No. 2-rated inside linebacker in the class. Holland was a four-star recruit in 2015, ranked the No. 8 outside linebacker in his class.

Johnathan “Rudy” Ford and Carlton Davis return to offset secondary losses.

Top returners by category

  • Top returning passer: Sean White (1,166 yards in 2015)
  • Top returning rusher: Jovon Robinson (639 yards)
  • Top returning receiver: Jason Smith (203 yards)
  • Top returning tackler: Johnathan “Rudy” Ford (118)
  • Top returning pass rusher: Cassanova McKinzy (5.0 sacks)
  • Top returning pass defender: Carlton Davis (3 interceptions)

Position of concern: Offensive tackle

We’ve talked plenty about Auburn’s quarterback situation. There’s no new ground to break there until a candidate separates himself this spring.

The Tigers lost both starting tackles in Coleman and Young, two of the SEC’s top tackles in 2015, according to Pro Football Focus.

Robert Leff, a rising senior, played in 13 games last season and started two. He’s a logical candidate to take over one of the tackle spots.

Auburn returns starting center Austin Golson and guards Alex Kozan and Braden Smith.

Shuffling is common and with tackle being the premium position, it’s certainly possible.

Darius James, who is 6-4, 332 pounds, is another candidate. James was a five-star recruit and top-ranked guard in the 2012 class, according to 247Sports.com’s composite rankings. He signed with Texas but transferred to Auburn.

The Tigers signed four four-star linemen in the 2015 cycle — and all four redshirted last season. The 2014 line class wasn’t nearly as strong — Smith was the lone four-star — so the opportunity is there for the next wave to provide depth, if not more, in 2016.