Auburn Football 2012: Breaking Down Spring Practice

The 2011 college football season may have just ended, but that doesn't mean that the players and coaches go sit on the couch for seven months. No, first it was the recruiting process, and now, it's time to begin preparing for spring practices.

The Auburn Tigers return a total of 18 starters and have to be feeling good about their chances in the SEC this season. Sure, they have to find a quarterback and have defensive issues, but the majority of their team is in place and has an extra year of experience under their belt.

The Tigers' spring practice takes place on March 21, and the spring game takes place April 14th.

Here's the breakdown for the Auburn Tigers' spring ball.

Schedule

Auburn will begin their spring practice on March 21, and the spring game will take place on April 14.

Offensive Depth Chart

Quarterback: Clint Moseley, Kiehl Frazier

Running Back: Onterio McCalebb, Anthony Morgan

Wide Receiver: Emory Blake, DeAngelo Benton

Wide Receiver: Travante Stallworth, Quan Bray

Wide Receiver: Trovon Reed, Jaylon Denson

Tight End: Philip Lutzenkirchen, C.J. Uzomah

Offensive Tackle: Christian Westerman

Offensive Guard: Chad Slade

Center: Reese Dismukes

Offensive Guard: John Sullen

Offensive Tackle: Erick Mack

Defensive and Special Teams Depth Chart

Defensive End: Corey Lemonier, Craig Sanders

Defensive Tackle: Jeffrey Whitaker, Angelo Blackson

Defensive Tackle: Kenneth Carter, Gabe Wright

Defensive End: Nosa Eguae, Joel Bonomolo

Right Side Linebacker: Daren Bates, Jawara White

Middle Linebacker: Jake Holland,

Left Side Linebacker: Jonathan Evans, Justin Garrett

Cornerback: Chris Davis, Jonathon Mincy

Cornerback: T’Sharvan Bell, Robenson Therezie

Strong Safety: Erique Florence

Free Safety: Demetruce McNeal, Ryan Smith

Kicker: Cody Parkey

Punter: Steven Clark

Best Position Battle

Auburn has an answer at nearly every position as they return a total of 18 starters.

Quarterback is one of the few positions where they're still searching for a legitimate starter though.

Clint Moseley is the favorite for now because he has the experience throwing 108 passes last season and completing 61 percent of them. His best game was against Ole Miss, where he threw for 160 yards and four touchdowns.

Moseley will have some stiff competition, though, from sophomore dual-threat quarterback Kiehl Frazier who's already receiving comparisons to Cam Newton.

Sure, he's thrown two interceptions while only throwing the ball 12 times, but Frazier's athleticism is unmatched. He has great arm strength and good size at 6'3" and 210 pounds. He's still raw as a passer, but his playmaking ability makes him a very serious contender for the starting spot.

If neither one of those quarterbacks can get their act together, Auburn recently picked up a 4-star prospect in Zeke Pike who may be a steal in this year's recruiting class. First thing you notice about Pike is his tremendous size at 6'6" and 225 pounds. He has a fantastic arm and underrated mobility.

The Tigers may not have an answer right now, but there's enough talent at this position to keep Auburn fans optimistic about the future.

Big Man on Campus

Defensive end Corey Lemonier had a solid freshman season in 2010 when he picked up two sacks and 17 tackles in limited playing time. His sophomore season, he really showed he's the real deal as he led the team with 9.5 sacks and had 13.5 tackles for loss.

With a defense that wasn't exactly great last season, Lemonier was one of the few bright spots and can really become a leader on this team. He has the talent to really take his game to the next level and become one of the better pass-rushers in all of college football.

There are several players on this roster who have talent, but Lemonier is one who has already stepped up and should be a difference maker for this defense moving forward.

Biggest Shoes to Fill

Losing a running back such as Michael Dyer is not going to be easy to replace, but Onterio McCalebb is going to try his best.

He rushed for over 600 yards last season with minimum carries and has averaged no less than five yards a touch for his career.

Now, who will be the backup is the question.

Sophomore Tre Mason will likely fill in this role as he averaged nearly six yards a carry last year and has fantastic speed to complement McCalebb. Other players such as Quan Bray and even new recruit Jovon Robinson should get solid carries as well.

With so many questions surrounding this offense as we head into the spring, the Tigers need a solid running game that they can rely on to help them win football games.

Most Important Questions to Answer

Besides the quarterback position, Auburn must discover a few playmakers on the offensive side of the ball.

Much like a lot of teams in the SEC, the wide receiver position isn't exactly the strong suite. And for Auburn, that was the case as well as only two players caught over 30 passes last season.

Philip Lutzenkirchen and Emory Blake will return, which isn't bad, but whoever wins the quarterback competition will need more options.

Jaquay Williams, who has terrific size at 6'4", may step in and help contribute. As should Trovon Reed and Travante Stallworth who should also see the field and earn quality minutes this year.

Auburn could have one of the better wide receiver corps in the SEC if just a couple of players out of this group step it up this spring.

Another thing to focus on is obviously the defense. With 10 starters returning on that side of the ball, it simply can't be as bad as it was last year. But with several coaching changes, it's going to be interesting to see just how quickly those players can adjust.