ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

The SEC spring practice slate begins March 3 when South Carolina holds its first workout and will run all the way until April 25 when Kentucky plays its spring game.

Uncertainty at quarterback is once again a big theme across the league. Here are a few things to watch for each team in the SEC this spring:

EASTERN DIVISION

FLORIDA

Spring practice starts: March 25

Spring game: April 18

What to watch:

• Now that Dan Mullen is embarking on his head-coaching career at Mississippi State, Scot Loeffler takes over as Florida's quarterbacks coach. He and quarterback Tim Tebow struck up a good relationship during the recruiting process when Loeffler was at Michigan, so it won't be like they're starting anew. The other coaching change is Steve Adazzio taking over as offensive coordinator and the principle playcaller, although Florida coach Urban Meyer said play calling at Florida has and will continue to be very much a team effort.

• Don't feel sorry for the Gators when it comes to having enough offensive weapons, but Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy are gone. Between them, they scored 24 touchdowns last season. This spring will be a good time for some of the other guys to gain Tebow's trust, especially with Jeffery Demps (groin), Chris Rainey (groin) and Brandon James (foot) all out or limited for spring practice. Can David Nelson continue his momentum after catching touchdown passes in the SEC championship and FedEx BCS National Championship games? A group of receivers who redshirted last season, Frankie Hammond, Jr., Omarius Hines and T.J. Lawrence, will get to show their stuff this spring.

• The Gators have to replace both starting offensive tackles, Phil Trautwein and Jason Watkins. One of the guys who was a candidate to replace them, Carl Johnson, could be in limbo for the spring. He started nine games at left guard last season, but was arrested earlier this week. Matt Patchan is moving back to the offensive line after filling in on the defensive line last season and will also get a chance to win one of the tackle jobs. Marcus Gilbert is another one to watch in that race.

GEORGIA

Spring practice starts: March 16

Spring game: April 11

What to watch:

• Fifth-year senior Joe Cox steps in for the departed Matthew Stafford at quarterback. Cox has started before and won games for the Bulldogs before, but this is the first time he's gone into the spring as the clear-cut starter. How does he handle being the man? He'll also have some younger guys nipping at his heels, but that competition should be healthy for everybody. True freshmen Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger were early enrollees and will go through spring practice. Don't forget about Logan Gray, either. He's a super athlete who actually returned some punts last season. If he's not going to play at quarterback, he's too good an athlete to be standing on the sideline.

• Injuries were a major problem for the Bulldogs last season, and they will have more than 30 players who will either miss spring practice or be limited because they're recovering from surgery or rehabilitating an injury. One of the hardest hit positions was defensive end, which was already thin. The Bulldogs need to find some guys who can get to the quarterback after finishing eighth in the SEC last season with 24 sacks. Justin Houston has the potential to be a big-time pass-rusher, and Kiante Tripp is moving from offensive line to defensive end. Rod Battle and Cornelius Washington are also in that mix, but neither is expected to do much this spring because of injury concerns. Defensive line coach Rodney Garner said he's down to four healthy ends.

• The best offseason acquisition for Georgia was holding onto offensive line coach Stacy Searels, who was wooed by Auburn to return to his alma mater. Searels has been promoted to running game coordinator, and he'll spend much of this spring sorting out an offensive line that was in constant flux a year ago because of injuries. The Bulldogs started five different offensive tackles. The good news is that all that moving of players around should make Georgia that much stronger in the offensive line next season, especially with tackle Trinton Sturdivant returning. He was one of their best linemen, but blew out his knee in the preseason and didn't play in a game.

KENTUCKY

Spring practice starts: April 1

Spring game: April 25

What to watch:

• Kentucky coach Rich Brooks has said that Mike Hartline goes into the spring as the Wildcats' starting quarterback. This is a big spring for him, especially if Kentucky is going to get back to the pro-style offense it ran so successfully when Andre' Woodson was under center. The "X" factor is Randall Cobb, who missed the bowl game after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. Cobb started the last four games of the regular season at quarterback and is a dynamic athlete, but the Wildcats may be best served to move him around and try to get him the ball in different spots if Hartline can become a more efficient passer.

• One of the reasons Cobb will be so valuable at receiver is that it's among the thinnest positions on the team. Losing Dicky Lyons to injury last season was a monumental blow. The good news for the Wildcats was that Kyrus Lanxter and Gene McCaskill had career-best games in the bowl. They need to continue that momentum in the spring. It's a similar story at running back. Senior Alfonso Smith is the only definite option at this point. Derrick Locke is trying to make it back from a serious knee injury, and Moncell Allen was ineligible for the bowl game.

• The defense had a great January when defensive end Jeremy Jarmon, middle linebacker Micah Johnson and cornerback Trevard Lindley all announced that they were returning for their senior seasons. That th
  reesome will be the nucleus of the Wildcats' defense in 2009 along with tackle Corey Peters. Filling in the gaps will also be critical, and that's where guys like defensive end Collins Ukwu, defensive tackle Chandler Burden and linebackers Danny Trevathan and Sam Maxwell come in. Building depth this spring will be critical if Kentucky is going to improve on defense. The Wildcats started fast last season, but finished 11th in the league in total defense after injuries began to mount.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Spring practice starts: March 3

Spring game: April 11

What to watch:

• All the quarterback shuffling that went on last season at South Carolina would seem to be over. Chris Smelley is gone, and so is Tommy Beecher. It's Stephen Garcia's show, and never has a spring practice been so important for a player. In fact, this will be his first spring practice after he was suspended last year. He has the physical tools to be a quality quarterback and showed flashes of that promise last season. But where he needs to improve the most is becoming more of a student of the game and understanding what Steve Spurrier wants out of his quarterbacks. How much Garcia matures will go a long way toward determining whether the Gamecocks can break out of that five- and six-loss rut.

• Four of South Carolina's top six defensive backs from a year ago are gone, as both safety Emanuel Cook and cornerback Captain Munnerlyn decided to leave early for the NFL draft. Lorenzo Ward, who was hired away from Arkansas, will be in charge of the secondary along with Shane Beamer. The Gamecocks need a big season from Akeem Auguste, who missed the bowl game with a hamstring injury. He's moving back to cornerback from safety. The guy with the most talent is C.C. Whitlock, who could be an exceptional cornerback if he would just mature. South Carolina also gets a look this spring at two highly rated freshmen already on campus -- cornerback Stephon Gilmore and safety Devonte Holloman, both from Rock Hill, S.C.

• Spurrier fired longtime offensive line coach John Hunt and brought in Eric Wolford to coach the Gamecocks' line and be their running game coordinator. For all the talk about Garcia last season and his propensity to leave the pocket, he was running for his life a lot of the time. The Gamecocks, who gave up 39 sacks last season, have to play better up front next season, and that starts this spring. They also need to run the ball better. Freshman signee Jarvis Giles may be the answer. He's enrolled and will go through spring, although he could be limited by turf toe.

TENNESSEE

Spring practice starts: March 10

Spring game: April 18

What to watch:

• The race is on for Tennessee's starting quarterback job, and with a new staff in place, it's anybody's guess as to who will come out on top. Jonathan Crompton, Nick Stephens and B.J. Coleman all played last season for the Vols, but the results were some of the worst at the quarterback position for Tennessee in the last three decades. The battle this spring should be an interesting one. For Crompton, it's a second chance after he struggled mightily in former coordinator Dave Clawson's system. It might be just recruiting talk, but new Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin and his staff were telling receiver prospects over the last few months that Crompton was plenty capable as a quarterback and that it was the system that held him back last season. We're going to find out.

• How thin are the Vols on the defensive line? So much so that steady defensive end Wes Brown may get a look at tackle. Tennessee has to find some interior depth this spring to help Dan Williams. They're not overflowing with depth at end, either, but at least Chris Walker and Ben Martin have shown some flashes. It's time for both of those players to take the next step and become premium pass-rushers. They get their chance to impress Monte Kiffin this spring, who will be installing his famed "Tampa 2" defense at Tennessee.

• The search is also on for offensive tackles. Chris Scott returns as one starter, but he's probably best suited to play guard. After Scott, there's not a player on the roster who's played any meaningful snaps at tackle. Ramone Johnson would have been one of the leading candidates to win a starting tackle job, but he was dismissed from the team last month for disciplinary reasons. It's anybody's guess who the Vols look to now. Massive William Brimfield may be a possibility, but he's been hurt much of the time he's been on campus. Tennessee is solid at guard with Vlad Richard and Jacques McClendon, but the Vols desperately need to find some more tackles this spring.

VANDERBILT

Spring practice starts: March 10

Spring game: March 28

What to watch:

• Vanderbilt had one of the best secondaries in the SEC last season, which allowed the Commodores to play aggressively and bring a lot of pressure. But gone off that unit are All-American cornerback D.J. Moore, who opted to turn pro, as well as strong safety Reshard Langford and nickelback Darlron Spead. Vanderbilt secondary coach Jamie Bryant thinks returning cornerback Myron Lewis can be a great one, and free safety Ryan Hamilton was one of the league's most underrated players last season. The spring will be Casey Hayward's chance to grab that other cornerback spot. He played some as a nickelback last season as a true freshman. Alan Strong is another one to watch at cornerback, while Sean Richardson is the favorite to replace Langford. Like Hayward, Richardson played last season as a true freshman.

• The Commodores have a couple of options at quarterback, similar to last season. Chris Nickson is gone, but do they go with veteran Mackenzi Adams or Larry Smith, who started in the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl and showed promise throwing the football? Adams has more experience and will be a senior next season. He led the Commodores to the victory over Auburn when they went to 5-0. Smith, though, is probably the better passer of the two, so it will be interesting to see how it shakes out this spring. Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson has proved that he will play two quarterbacks if he thinks that's what is best for the team. The Commodores' passing game was anemic last season and must improve.

• The offensive line was young last season and took its lumps. All five starters return, and Vanderbilt offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell is one of the best in the business. This spring offers a chance to grow as a unit. The Commodores had some success running the ball last season, and a big part of the offensive
  line's development will be finding more punch at running back. Jeff Jennings is gone, and Jared Hawkins will miss the spring with a foot injury. That opens the door for Gaston Miller, Kennard Reeves, Jermaine Doster and Ryan van Rensburg.

WESTERN DIVISION

ALABAMA

Spring practice starts: March 23

Spring game: April 18

What to watch:

• With John Parker Wilson gone, the starting quarterback job is probably Greg McElroy's to lose. Alabama coach Nick Saban has promised that it will be an open competition, which means Star Jackson will certainly get his shot this spring. Jackson redshirted last season, but showcased excellent passing and running skills as a high school player. McElroy is extremely intelligent and has a firm grasp of the offense even though he's only played in a couple of games during his Alabama career. If neither quarterback stands out this spring, then true freshman A.J. McCarron could be a factor when he gets on campus this summer.

• The quarterback issue is one thing, but the most daunting challenge for the Crimson Tide this spring may be rebuilding their offensive line. Outland Trophy winner Andre Smith is gone at left tackle, and so are All-American center Antoine Caldwell and steady guard Marlon Davis. Junior college newcomer James Carpenter will probably get first crack at left tackle. He's on campus and gets the spring to prove himself, but touted true freshman D.J. Fluker arrives this summer. William Vlachos is somebody to watch at center, and this could be the spring that prized 2008 signees Tyler Lover and Barrett Jones make their moves.

• Nine starters are back on a defense that was exceptional last season, but it won't be easy to replace safety Rashad Johnson. He was such a versatile player and was the quintessential leader. Ali Sharrief, Tyrone King and Mark Barron are three of the main candidates to step in for Johnson. Sharrief has an edge in experience, but Barron's going to be hard to keep off the field. The spring will be a huge test for Barron to see how he handles the mental part.

ARKANSAS

Spring practice starts: March 24

Spring game: April 18

What to watch:

• Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino's goal is to come out of the spring with a starting quarterback. He doesn't want it dragging out until August. Ryan Mallett, a transfer from Michigan, was very impressive with the way he threw the ball in practice last season, but Petrino is going to make him earn the job. Tyler Wilson, who played sparingly in two games last season as a true freshman, will also be competing for the starting job this spring along with redshirt freshman Jim Youngblood. Wilson will be classified as a freshman again after the NCAA awarded him a medical redshirt because of his bout with mononucleosis.

• The Razorbacks were painfully young on defense last season and wound up finishing last in the SEC in total defense and scoring defense. The top 10 tacklers are back, though, and paramount this spring will be establishing more leadership on the defensive side of the ball. Two of the top candidates are linebacker Jerry Franklin, who led the Hogs with 87 tackles last season and will move to the weak side in 2009; and defensive tackle Malcolm Sheppard, who was second in the SEC with 14.5 tackles for loss. Arkansas had seven freshmen who started on defense at some point in 2008.

• Michael Smith can't go it alone again next season. In fact, the Hogs' leading rusher won't be doing anything this spring because he's continuing to rehabilitate a torn hamstring. The 5-foot-7, 173-pound Smith had to carry far too much of the load in 2008, but Arkansas has brought in reinforcements and hopes to complement Smith with some bigger running backs. The Razorbacks struggled at times in short yardage last season, which is where Southern California transfer Broderick Green and freshmen Knile Davis and Ronnie Wingo Jr. should come in. Green is awaiting word from the NCAA to see if he's eligible next season. Davis is already enrolled and will go through spring practice. Wingo will be on campus this summer. Ideally, Petrino would like to have a three-man rotation at running back.
  

AUBURN

Spring practice starts: March 24

Spring game: April 18

What to watch:

• The first order of business is installing Gus Malzahn's spread offense. This is the second straight spring that the Tigers have put in a version of the spread. It was a disaster a year ago under Tony Franklin, which ultimately led to Tommy Tuberville's exit. Malzahn's offenses at Tulsa led the country in total offense each of the last two seasons, averaging more than 540 yards per game. Malzahn is no stranger to the SEC, having served as offensive coordinator at Arkansas in 2006. He understands that SEC defenses are a different animal.

• All eyes will be on quarterback Kodi Burns to see how he adapts to Malzahn's system after a rough sophomore season a year ago. The Tigers need to identify some offensive playmakers around Burns. Running backs Ben Tate and Mario Fannin will be big parts of the offense. Prep school signee Onterio McCalebb is already enrolled in school and could be a dangerous change-of-pace guy in the backfield, but prep school receiver DeAngelo Benton won't be on campus until this summer.

• It's hard to blame much about last season on Auburn's defense. For the most part, the Tigers played well on that side of the ball amid some tough circumstances and return seven starters. First-year Auburn coach Gene Chizik is a former defensive coordinator, so you can bet he'll keep a close eye on those guys this spring. The return of defensive end Antonio Coleman was huge. He's one of the better pass-rushers in the league, but former Auburn great and first-year defensive line coach Tracy Rocker has to find two new interior linemen to replace Sen'Derrick Marks and Tez Doolittle. Senior Jake Ricks a
  nd junior Mike Blanc will get the first shot.

LSU

Spring practice starts: March 12

Spring game: April 18

What to watch:

• Who knows what would have happened had LSU given true freshman quarterback Jordan Jefferson a chance earlier last season. But Les Miles said he wasn't ready and waited until November (after seeing all the interceptions for touchdowns he could stomach from Jarrett Lee) before he turned to Jefferson. The results were promising, especially in the blowout win over Georgia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. LSU offensive coordinator Gary Crowton likes a quarterback who can run and pass, and Jefferson can do both. He'll have his hands full this spring, though, with multidimensional freshman Russell Shepard, who's already enrolled in school and was rated by Scouts Inc. as the No. 1 athlete in the country for the 2009 signing class.

• There's a new chief in town on defense, and his name is John Chavis. The former Tennessee defensive coordinator takes over an LSU defense that underachieved for much of last season. Several key players are gone, too, including defensive end Tyson Jackson, but there's still plenty of material for Chavis to work with. Al Woods, Drake Nevis and Lazarius Levingston are guys that need to come through up front, and safety Chad Jones and cornerback Patrick Peterson are both terrific talents in the secondary. Chavis is the kind of fiery guy who will return that edge to the LSU defense.

• The good news is that Brandon Lafell changed his mind and decided to come back for his senior season. Otherwise, there would have been huge question marks at receiver. There's not much proven depth at receiver, and Jared Mitchell will be focusing on baseball this spring. The Tigers would love to see Terrance Toliver take that next step and become a go-to guy. They're all anxious on the Bayou to see Rueben Randle, but he doesn't arrive until the summer. Some of the 2008 signees at receiver could help matters by having big springs. Among them: Chris Tolliver, Deangelo Peterson and Jhyryn Taylor.

MISSISSIPPI STATE

Spring practice starts: March 24

Spring game: April 18

What to watch:

• We get our first look at Dan Mullen's Mississippi State-themed spread offense this spring, as he and offensive coordinator Les Koenning get their first on-the-field look at their personnel. Mullen won't be stubborn. He'll fit the system to the players, and while the development of quarterback Tyson Lee will be a huge key, a more pressing priority this spring is to get the offensive line up to speed. The top seven guys return from last season, but they need to play better, play with more consistency and play with more cohesion.

• The Bulldogs will be in search of any and all playmakers they can find at receiver. Those guys weren't very plentiful on the roster last season, and Mullen has made it clear that he needs more receivers to effectively run his offense. Brandon McRae was Mississippi State's best receiver last season, but he broke his right leg in the last game against Ole Miss and will be sidelined for spring ball. Arnil Stallworth is one of those slash guys capable of lining up in a couple of different spots, and the spring will also be a big opportunity for sophomore Delmon Robinson and junior college newcomer Leon Berry to show what they can do at receiver in this offense.

• Several changes are in store for the middle of the Mississippi State defense, starting with the front right on through to the secondary. The Bulldogs are expecting big things from junior college tackle Pernell McPhee, who's on campus and will go through spring practice. Linebacker Jamar Chaney is back after suffering a broken leg in the season opener last year, but will move to the weak side. Junior college newcomer Chris White is expected to take over at middle linebacker. The Bulldogs were also depleted at safety, especially with Derek Pegues' departure. Charles Mitchell and Zach Smith are the guys to watch there.

OLE MISS

Spring practice starts: March 26

Spring game: April 18

What to watch:

• Quarterback Jevan Snead went from a quarterback prone to making mistakes to one of the better quarterbacks in the SEC in a year's time last season. His maturation will be even more important this next season, and you'll start to see it on the practice field this spring. He's the first to tell you that he needs to be a stronger leader, a more vocal leader. This is his team now, and Snead will be the one who sets the tone. Offensive coordinator Kent Austin also has enough confidence in Snead that the Rebels' offensive package will grow. They're going to put more on Snead next fall.

• It took forever for Jerrell Powe to get to Ole Miss. The wait for him to become a dominant player might not be too far off. This is clearly a big spring for Powe, one of the candidates to replace All-America defensive tackle Peria Jerry in the starting lineup. Powe would like to be under 320 pounds when the season begins. He was up close to 350 when the season ended a year ago and said he's down under 335 right now. If he can control his weight, he has a chance to be a force in the middle of an already talented Ole Miss defensive line.

• When you have a commodity like Snead, you better protect him. His personal bodyguard, Michael Oher, is gone, which means the Rebels are looking for a new left offensive tackle. Oher was named the Jacobs Award winner as the SEC's top blocker last season, and he made sure very few people touched Snead. The heir apparent for that job is Bradley Sowell, who will be a sophomore next season. Sowell needs a strong showing this spring, because heralded prep school signee Bobbie Massie (all 6-foot-7, 345 pounds of him) will be breathing down Sowell's neck when Massie arrives in the summer.