Time to take a deep breath and gently inhale the sweet scent of magnolias drifting upon the April breeze. Your football team is going to be OK.

Spring football is all but under wraps in the SEC West. With its parting we’ve learned that some of the things we fretted about since January weren’t quite worth the trepidation.

Several developments have changed our opinions about each squad this spring. Here’s a few areas where we’ve had a change of heart.

ALABAMA OK AT LB

Alabama had to replace starters Reggie Ragland and Denzel Devall, and contributor Dillon Lee, in its linebacker rotation.

The Tide appears to have found answers in Tim Williams and Rashaad Evans.

Nick Saban joked that Williams was so dominant he almost ruined the spring game.

With Reuben Foster — who finished second to Ragland in tackles last season with 73.0 (8.0 of them for a loss) — moving into his former teammates spot at the Mike linebacker position, a slot is rife for the taking at the Will. Queue Evans.

The junior tallied a team-high 17.0 tackles in the Tide’s annual A Game — 10 more stops than the next closest player. Evans still needs to lessen the mental mistakes as he switches from the outside to an inside role, but if he can, Alabama again will be tough up the middle.

Williams and Ryan Anderson, who combined for 3.0 sacks in the A Game, likely will anchor the OLB slots, ensuring the Tide’s pass-rush production shouldn’t drop off much from the unit that finished No. 1 in the nation for sacks (52.0).

NEW, BUT FAMILIAR, ARM

Kody Walker’s broken foot has us wondering if Arkansas has a problem with its cleats, turf or something else that would cause the Razorbacks to lose two starting running backs (Jonathan Williams and Walker) and their top receiver (Keon Hatcher) to similar ailments two offseasons in the row.

Fortunately, Bret Bielema’s announcement of Austin Allen as the team’s starting quarterback this spring has brought the Hogs offense into a clearer focus.

With five of the team’s top-six pass-catchers back in 2016, it was paramount that Bielema replace Brandon Allen — the SEC’s highest-rated quarterback last season — with a capable passer.

Several challenged for the position, but Allen earned the starting nod by a wide margin.

“Last week when I was away for a couple of days, I was sitting there watching film and I’m like, ‘He is our best quarterback,’” Bielema said of Austin Allen via Gridiron Now. “It’s not even close, as far as, if we were playing a game tomorrow, who everybody in both locker rooms and the coaching staff would choose.”

Allen is the younger brother of the aforementioned Brandon Allen, who left Fayetteville this winter a mere 30 yards behind Ryan Mallet for second on the Razorbacks’ all-time leaderboard for career passing yards. The younger Allen has two years of eligibility left to carve his niche.

Plus, with a quarterback to build around, Bielema can go about getting Walker healthy while integrating sophomore Rawleigh Williams III back and four-star freshman Devwah Whaley into the backfield mix.

RETURN OF THE PASS RUSH

Auburn struggled to generate a pass-rush in 2015, finishing only above Kentucky in the SEC for team sacks with 19.0.

By comparison, conference-leader Myles Garrett tallied 12.5 sacks for Texas A&M alone.

Magnifying Auburn’s pass-rushing issues was a hip injury that limited Carl Lawson to seven games and just one sack. The junior appears healed, but whether he plays defensive end or a hybrid linebacker position remains to be seen.

Wherever Lawson winds up, true freshman Marlon Davidson might have earned himself a spot along the opposite end. The four-star prospect played like a five-star recruit this spring and likely outplayed sophomore Byron Cowart for the starting nod at defensive end. Returning at the defensive tackles spots is Montravius Adams and Dontavius Russell, who combined for 7.5 tackles-for-loss and 4.0 sacks.

Auburn’s run-stuffing ability also got a boost during the spring’s A-Day game from several linebackers, highlighted by Deshaun Davis, a redshirt freshman who posted a team-high 9.0 tackles, and Tre Williams and Darrell Williams.

It’s the quick rise of Davidson, however, that has changed our minds regarding the Tigers ability to improve their pass-rush.

“Oh, Marlon grew up real quick,” Tre Williams said of Davidson via the Ledger-Enquirer. “Just coming in this spring, everybody was thinking he had a lot of growing up to do and had a lot of learning to do. But he did all that in a week or two, so that really surprised me.”

OH-LINE

Les Miles’ LSU Tigers entered the spring looking to replace both starting tackles.

Maea Teuhema appears to have the inside track on Jerald Hawkins’ left tackle spot after a decent spring that saw him also work out at left guard, where he started 11 games as a freshman. If Teuhema can’t hack it, it’s possible that Ethan Pocic slides over to left tackle from center.

Another sophomore, Toby Weathersby, could replace Vadal Alexander at right tackle, but not without a serious push from K.J. Malone, who could also see time at left tackle. Will Clapp is expected to recover from his offseason hip surgery, and resume his starting role at guard. Josh Boutte and Garrett Brumfield are fighting it out for the right guard slot. All told, the three guards saw significant action in 2015.

If Pocic moves to left guard, his spot could be filled by Andy Dodd. The junior who got the nod at center with Pocic out with an injury and earned one of the team’s Most Improved awards. In fact, of the seven players honored in camp for most improvement, five (Teuhema, Boutte, Dodd, Malone and Chidi Okeke) were offensive linemen.

While there are some health issues to deal with this spring and summer, LSU’s offense showed promise during camp.

SIRMON IN STARKVEGAS

Replacing Dak Prescott isn’t the only concern in Starkville. Enter the Peter Sirmon era. The Bulldogs’ new defensive coordinator enters his first year and he’s already allaying some consternation regarding the squad’s defense.

That began with defensive lineman Johnathan Calvin, who tallied 4.0 sacks in the Bulldogs’ spring game. Calvin had a decent first season after transferring from Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) Community College. But he appears ready to improve upon his 27 tackles and 5.5 tackles-for-loss with a big year. Teamed with fellow senior defensive lineman A.J. Jefferson — who picked off a pass in the spring game — Mississippi State could surprise with a formidable front attack.

The defense had a nice balance of young and old during the spring game with freshman linebacker Leo Lewis and sophomore defensive back Mark McLaurin coming up big on defense. Not to mention, the defense got the last laugh on Prescott.

RISE OF THE DOWNHILL RUNNERS

If Jordan Wilkins or Akeem Judd wants to replace Jaylen Walton as the heir of the Ole Miss backfield, they might need to step up their respective games. Eric Swinney is making a strong case to be the Rebels’ starting running back in Week 1 against Florida State.

If there’s one area where the high-octane Ole Miss offense was pedestrian in 2015, it was on the ground, finishing No. 7 in the SEC, with a number that drops significantly if you disregard the 500 rushing yards by quarterback Chad Kelly.

If the Rebels want to push it to the next level, they know that they’ll need a strong rushing attack.

And now it appears they have that bruising attack.

“If you can’t run the ball, you can’t win championships,” co-offensive coordinator Dan Werner said via Scout.com. “We have put in a couple of new formations, like we did last year, and we think that will help us get things going downhill more. Also, we have more physical backs than we have had.

“We have had more defenders run over this spring than we have had in four years combined previously. I loved the guys we have had — Walton and Jeff Scott, loved them, but we’ve got two or three who can just lower their shoulders and get you two or three more yards.

“Eric Swinney, it seems, runs over someone every day. He has a rare combination of power and shiftiness. He gets hit at a one-yard gain but runs over someone and gets three more yards. Wilkins and Akeem have also had those moments.”

Translation: If the redshirt freshman Swinney can maintain this level of play, then he, combined with Wilkins (379 yards, 4 TDs) and Judd (421 yards, 3 TDs), then our opinion of the Ole Miss running game is on the uptick.

KYLE(R) WHO?

It appears the discord in College State — which led to the transfer of Texas A&M’s two touted quarterbacks within a week’s span this winter — has been quelled.

That’s thanks in large part to the springs that Trevor Knight and Jake Hubenak enjoyed while acclimating to the Aggies’ offense. Knight looks every bit the part of a savvy veteran, made wise by his three seasons, 3,424 career yards and 25 touchdowns while piloting the Oklahoma Sooners.

Knight dove right in during his first spring since transferring to Texas A&M, logging 282 yards, 2 touchdowns and another score on the ground in the Aggies’ Maroon and White Spring Game. Hubenak has drawn praise for his poise and preparation, and didn’t allow Knight to completely steal the show.

The strong spring under center has changed our opinion, making us think the quarterback turmoil — which included hints of a “Johnny Manziel culture” still surrounding the program — is a thing of the past.

With plenty of weapons from the skill positions, if Knight can prove his mettle, the Aggies are going to put up some points this year.