Former Alabama QB Blake Sims, 6, runs for a first down against Auburn (Vasha Hunt/vhunt@al.com)
SEC's top spring ball storylines
March marks the start of spring practices for most programs in the Southeastern Conference.
Spanning just 15 days, few questions are completely answered during spring ball.
Keeping that in mind, here are some of the SEC’s most interesting story lines heading into the practices that will lay the foundation for the start of the 2015 college football season.
Alabama's Jonathan Allen, 93, sacks Jennings (Vasha Hunt/vhunt@al.com)
5) Can LSU's offense get something going?
Quarterbacks Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris return, but both still have a ton to prove. LSU averaged 162.9 passing yards per game in 2014, which ranked 114th in the country. The problems in the passing game forced the Tigers to lean heavily on their ground attack, which averaged just 4.70 yards per rush.
Chavis (AP Photo/Jonathan Bachman)
4) How high is the ceiling for Texas A&M's defense?
Leaving LSU in favor of Texas A&M, John Chavis inherits a defense that ranked outside the nation's top 100 the last two seasons. The unit does include some promising talent, but much of it is young. With Chavis' leadership, how fast can the Aggies improve and learn their new defensive system?
"We've got talent, there's no question about that," said Chavis, during his first meeting with Texas A&M media members. "First thing we need to do is get our guys confident. If they're good enough to play, they're good enough to win in the SEC. And once they feel that way, I think we're well on the way to being there.”
Coker (Vasha Hunt/vhunt@al.com)
3) Will Jake Coker lock up Alabama's QB job this spring?
After transferring from Florida State to Alabama in 2014, the expectations that Coker arrived in Tuscaloosa with were sky high. After the media hyped him up as potentially one of the top quarterbacks in college football, the FSU transfer failed to win the Crimson Tide's starting job. With heavily tempered expectations this offseason and Blake Sims' eligibility expiring, Coker has a clear advantage in this year's QB battle against a trio of freshmen in Blake Barnett and redshirts Cooper Bateman and David Cornwell. As the top backup for Sims in 2014 and Jameis Winston in 2013, Coker is the only QB who has played in a collegiate game.
Harris (Mark Almond/malmond@al.com)
2) What will Florida's offense look like?
Jim McElwain proved that he could run a successful SEC offense when he was at Alabama. But the Gators' first-year head coach will not have anywhere near the offensive firepower that he had when he was the Crimson Tide's coordinator. Sophomore quarterback Treon Harris started Florida's last six games, but he passed for just 1,140 yards and nine score, while throwing three picks. Will Harris or redshirt freshman Will Grier, who is more of a pro-style quarterback, be taking more first-team reps by the end of spring ball?
Muschamp and Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn (Julie Bennett/ jbennett@al.com)
1) How quickly can Auburn's defense improve?
Auburn made a statement when it hired Will Muschamp to run its defense, by making him college football's highest paid coordinator. Each of the last four years at Florida Muschamps' teams ranked among the top 15 nationally in total defense. Meanwhile, the Tigers have not ranked higher the 60th in total defense during that same period of time. Eight defensive starters return for Auburn, but how long will it take for players to learn Muschamp's system?