2014 Spring Practice

Spring football is a time for players to compete, coaches to evaluate and fans to find answers to their predictions. For Alabama, the questions circulate around who will be the next quarterback, how is the offense going to look under Lane Kiffin and who will fill in the holes on defense...

Bo Davis had told everyone, even recruits, that he was going to become the new defensive line coach at the University of Southern California under incoming head coach Steve Sarkisian. Instead, he shocked the college football landscape by deciding days later to take the same position at Alabama, returning to coach under former boss Nick Saban.

There are a lot of question marks regarding who will be replacing Alabama's key losses at key positions, but one of the most interesting position battles may come from a position that has everyone returning.

There's no denying the reason for Nick Saban bringing in Lane Kiffin: to improve offensively. So what, exactly, did Saban see in Kiffin that convinced him to be his next offensive coordinator?

The biggest questions of the off-season can be answered during spring practice, and Alabama is one of many teams with multiple voids to fill. One particular position of concern for the Crimson Tide is replacing quarterback AJ McCarron, who won two national championships as a starter.

A primary focus for Saban this off-season will be the restructuring of an Alabama secondary that struggled throughout the 2013 season. Injuries plagued last year's group, which opened the door for a number of younger players to step up. Those players now have valuable SEC experience and that will come in handy under a new secondary coach...

Since Nick Saban had arrived in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide has sent many players to the NFL, sometimes as many as ten being drafted in a single season. The flip side of that is the holes left when these players depart.

When the Alabama football team takes to the practice field for spring practice on Saturday, there might be as much outside interest on this camp as any since Nick Saban's arrival in Tuscaloosa.