Alabama expects to be without three of its starters for the entire spring, giving understudies a chance to shine during preseason practice.

Coach Nick Saban announced earlier this month that defensive end Jonathan Allen, safety Eddie Jackson and left tackle Cam Robinson were unlikely to return to practice this spring. Allen and Robinson are suffering from shoulder injuries, while Jackson has a hurt leg.

Allen led the team with 12 sacks in 2015, while Jackson topped the Tide with six interceptions.

Those losses are – at least momentarily – big, but on the positive side we’ll get a look at who can step up to replace these key players as the Tide gears up for the 2016 slate.

Left tackle – True freshman Jonah Williams looks to be the man to replace Robinson in the spring game, picking up plenty of reps on the blind side. The 6-foot-5, 288-pounder was a four-star recruit out of Folsom, Calif., who grew up in Atlanta and enrolled early in Tuscaloosa this January. Many touting services pegged him among the top 100 recruits in the country and he could pressed into service early in his Bama career.

JUCO transfer Charles Baldwin also is getting repetitions at left tackle. Robinson should assume control of the position in the fall, but whomever performs better could become the starting right tackle in ’16 and will have an inside track to replace Robinson should he leave early for the NFL draft as expected.

Defensive end – Senior Dalvin Tomlinson, already a force primarily off the bench in 2015, should see plenty of action in this position this spring to help fill the void left by Allen’s spring absence and the departure of Jarran Reed. Another player in a similar situation as Tomlinson is junior Da’Shawn Hand, who also entered most 2015 games off the bench to make a handful of tackles to bolster the defensive front.

Most expect Hand to start opposite Allen, but at the least, Tomlinson can claim “next man up” status with a good spring.

Safety – With Jackson out, a handful of players should see more action this spring. Redshirt freshman Ronnie Harrison and junior “Hootie” Jones are expected to compete for the starting spot vacated by Geno Matias-Smith.

Expect lots of Delonte Thompson, too. Rated as ESPN’s third-best safety prospect in 2014, Thompson redshirted in 2015 and is itching to get on the field this year. Shawn Burgess-Becker should also see plenty of spring reps. The sophomore entered Tuscaloosa as a four-star prospect and saw plenty of action in 2015, including making a big stop against Arkansas on a fake punt attempt.

Tony Brown, still working through disciplinary issues with coach Nick Saban, is a wild card. It’s possible that the team could move him to safety, which would throw another body into the competition.

Alabama returned to practice this week following its spring break, as it gears up for the A-Day game on April 16.