We’re already underway. Shoutout to Mizzou for that.

We’ve got spring football in the SEC. That means we can officially stop looking back at 2022 and simply focus all of our attention on all things 2023, right? Eh, maybe not so much.

There are 10 new offensive coordinators in the SEC, which means there’s a ton of intrigue on that side of the ball, specifically at the quarterback position. We’ve only got a minimum of 6 teams with new starting quarterbacks, so it’s not as if there’s total offensive turnover. We’ll see plenty of situations with returning starters trying to gel with new offensive play-callers.

But of course, there are 2 sides of the ball. Three, actually. We won’t, however, be digging into any juicy special teams storylines today.

For now, these are the intriguing SEC storylines to follow as spring camp opens up:

Alabama — Ty Simpson vs. Jalen Milroe

I’d say it’s been 5 years since we had a true Alabama quarterback battle. Jalen Hurts vs. Tua Tagovailoa was a bit more notable than Simpson vs. Milroe, but the latter could be just as pivotal in determining the Tide’s national championship path. It’s Milroe who got the benefit of QB2 duties in 2022, wherein he got a start for the injured Bryce Young. Simpson, on the other hand, could benefit from being recruited by new Alabama offensive coordinator Tommy Rees when he was at Notre Dame. In all likelihood, this QB battle will last deep into fall camp, but we should get plenty of data points from the young signal-callers.

Arkansas — Not 1 but 2 new coordinators

For the first time since Sam Pittman has been a head coach, he has a change at coordinator. Two, to be exact. Kendal Briles and Barry Odom both left for new opportunities, and in stepped Travis Williams and Dan Enos. Will they be an upgrade? It’s too early to say that’ll be the case with any certainty coming off a disappointing 7-6 season in which the Hogs were a disaster defensively. Williams did well with total autonomy at UCF, who had previously struggled to have any sort of defensive consistency. That’s been the knock at Arkansas. Williams’ ability to coach up a defense that just lost arguably its top 4 players will be huge, and can Enos help KJ Jefferson take another step? Those things could define Pittman’s time in Fayetteville.

Auburn — Does Hugh Freeze believe in Robby Ashford as his QB1?

It’s no secret that Auburn was in the market for a transfer portal quarterback. There was reportedly interest in Grayson McCall and Spencer Sanders, but neither panned out. That means we’re about to get a massive spring for Ashford. Can he show enough to convince Freeze that he’s worth being the unquestioned QB1 in fall camp? Or will Ashford struggle with his accuracy and progressions and force Freeze into making a post-spring portal edition? Now would be as good a time as ever for Ashford to put it all together.

Florida — Can Billy Napier stop the bleeding and get some good vibes back?

By “stop the bleeding,” I just mean can Napier actually get some more positive developments. Losing 3 assistants in February was atypical, as was the entire Jaden Rashada saga. That’s coming off a losing season in which Anthony Richardson’s development — or lack there of — became a constant source of frustration. The Gators enter Year 2 of the Napier era with more questions than answers at a place where that typically isn’t tolerated. At least not for very long. Will Napier be active in the post-spring portal with some splashy additions? That might be the only thing that can turn around some weird vibes in The Swamp.

Georgia — Mike Bobo and the UGA QB battle

I’ll spare you another rant on Kirby Smart replacing Todd Monken with Mike Bobo and why I don’t think that’s as seamless of a transition as many expect. Bobo’s handling of this quarterback situation will be interesting. The 2022 pecking order suggests that Carson Beck will be the favorite in the clubhouse entering Year 4 in Athens. Could Brock Vandagriff or even Gunner Stockton change that? And will all 3 of those signal-callers stay? That seems like it’d be quite the feat, especially considering that all of Georgia’s potential starters have at least 3 years of eligibility left (Beck’s 2020 didn’t count against him because of COVID and he was under the 4-game threshold in 2021). Something tells me this QB battle has more promise than the Jamie Newman-JT Daniels-D’Wan Mathis mess that unfolded in UGA’s last true QB battle.

Kentucky — Restoring the Big Blue Wall

The UK offensive line was a total disaster in 2022. Will Levis took a beating, and an offense that entered the year with promise following its most prolific season since 2007 took a massive step back. So now with Liam Coen back and 2022 Preseason ACC Player of the Year Devin Leary under center, can we expect significant offensive upgrades? The offensive line could determine that. The hope is that’ll come via Tanner Bowles from Alabama and Marques Cox from Northern Illinois. It should also help that Coen just spent an entire year scheming for a Los Angeles Rams offense that was incredibly depleted on the offensive line, and Leary is known for getting rid of the ball quicker than Levis. If UK wants to get back to 2021 levels of production, the Big Blue Wall needs to live up to its name instead of being the Big Blue Gate.

LSU — Where will Harold Perkins settle in?

There’s been talk about moving Perkins to a more traditional middle linebacker role a la Devin White. You could make a case that the freshman sensation has instincts that are more conducive to that position with how quickly he moves laterally. You could also make the case that Perkins, who played almost a 50-50 split on the edge compared to in the box, is better off having the freedom to line up anywhere and harass opposing quarterbacks. The initial plan was just to get Perkins on the field by any means necessary, which meant shifting him to more of an edge rusher type role. But it’ll be interesting to see if Matt House and Co. elect to at least make Perkins more of a hybrid player who starts to get more reps in that traditional middle linebacker role.

Mizzou — Kirby Moore’s impact

Eli Drinkwitz is forking over play-calling duties for the first time as a head coach. He had to. Mizzou’s offense didn’t progress in the way many felt it should in Year 3, and concerns over the lack of a workhorse back like Larry Rountree or Tyler Badie were validated by season’s end. Moore’s job is to make Mizzou more explosive. It’s not that the Tigers are lacking talent. The well-documented arrival and subsequent usage of 5-star receiver Luther Burden was a continued topic of conversation. That’s not going anywhere. How does Moore utilize guys like Burden, Mookie Cooper and Oklahoma transfer Theo Wease? And will we see Miami transfer Jake Garcia impact the quarterback situation with Brady Cook and spring-time Mizzou pitcher Sam Horn? Moore’s mission to ignite a stagnant Mizzou offense should begin to take shape in the coming weeks.

MSU — Will Rogers is running a new offense

It’s a great opportunity for Rogers’ next-level prospects to show what he can do away from the Mike Leach version of the Air Raid. That’s not a knock on the late-MSU coach, but it’s no secret that the high volume, limited route tree of the Leach Air Raid didn’t exactly turn quarterbacks into elite prospects. More important in the short term is how Rogers helps MSU take that next step in Kevin Barbay’s offense. MSU will actually utilize tight ends and if Barbay’s recent history at Appalachian State and Central Michigan is any indication, there’ll be more offensive balance. Will we see Rogers settle in well? Or will it feel more like Nick Fitzgerald in the Joe Moorhead offense in 2018? Spring will surely be the positive spin for Rogers, but we should at least get some insight into that transition.

Ole Miss — The rare modern day QB battle

I know Ole Miss fans don’t want to hear this, but Jaxson Dart is by no means locked in as the starter. Yes, Lane Kiffin was likely going to add at least 1 transfer. The fact that he added not just Walker Howard from LSU but also 4-year Oklahoma State starter Spencer Sanders was significant, to say the least. All 3 are locked into a spring camp battle that quickly became one of the most interesting QB races in America. Sanders has far more experience than Dart, though the latter has more experience in the Kiffin offense. Dart’s up-and-down play in 2022 clearly has his long-term future as Ole Miss’ QB1 in doubt. I highly doubt a true favorite will emerge unless Dart transfers post-spring, so all signs point to this continuing deep into fall.

South Carolina — How do the Gamecocks fill some massive defensive holes?

South Carolina ranks No. 113 in FBS in percentage of returning defensive production having just lost Cam Smith (NFL), Jordan Burch (transfer) and Zacch Pickens (NFL). That is less than ideal. Despite the fact that it was a significant Year 2 jump, let’s not forget that the Gamecocks still failed to crack the top half of FBS in scoring defense after allowing 28.8 points per game. Sure, there’s promising young pieces like safety Nick Emmanwori, who led South Carolina in tackles as a true freshman, and there are sky-high expectations for 5-star freshman Nyckoles Harbor. But I’d be a touch concerned if we hear reports of the offense dominating this Gamecocks defense throughout spring ball. That seems like a strong possibility.

Tennessee — The Nico Iamaleava/Joe Milton experience

Let’s call this “the freak vs. the future.” And to be clear, I don’t believe this is a battle. You usually don’t start true freshmen quarterbacks unless it’s out of necessity, especially in the SEC. With Milton’s Orange Bowl performance, it should be understood that it’s his job to lose heading into 2023. Former Tennessee OC and new USF coach Alex Golesh praised Milton’s progression to trust his receivers and stay within the confines of the system. Will that be the key for Milton to harness that ridiculous potential? We’ll get an interesting side-by-side of the 2 with Tayven Jackson off to Indiana. All eyes will be on Iamaleava as the No. 2 quarterback in the 2023 class, but the narrow-framed signal-caller should likely have to wait his turn behind Milton.

Texas A&M — Robert. Patrick. Petrino.

We’re blessed that Jimbo Fisher settled on Bobby Petrino as his first ever offensive play-caller. The opportunity for fireworks will be there, no matter how this turns out. Petrino is an elite offensive mind, no doubt. But the dynamic between Petrino and Fisher will be must-see TV. Petrino’s spring task is developing Conner Weigman, who showed major promise in a limited 2022 sample size as a true freshman. With Ainias Smith, Evan Stewart and Moose Muhammad III all back, the dormant A&M passing game has no reason not to improve, especially with virtually the entire starting offense line back. Petrino working with 5-star talent for the first time in his career should be a fascinating dynamic as long as he’s in College Station.

Vanderbilt — Finding an Anfernee Orji replacement

Clark Lea didn’t have a whole lot of guys who could dial up pressure and get in the backfield. Hence, why the Commodores finished 120th in FBS with just 17 sacks, and they ranked 11th in the SEC in tackles for loss. Orji led the SEC with 9 tackles per game as a senior in 2022, and he had double-digit tackles for loss in 2021. In 3 consecutive years, Orji led Vandy in tackles, which was why he left his last year of eligibility on the table to head off to the NFL. There’s a significant hole in the middle of Lea’s defense, which returns just 56% of last year’s production. Who’ll be the new face of Vandy’s defense? Christian James seems like a good bet as a redshirt senior, and safety De’Rickey Wright could become the steadying presence. Vandy needs several players who can make an Orji-like impact in order to take another step in Year 3 of the Lea era.