March is here, and for college football fans, that only means one thing -- the beginning of spring practice. On Tuesday, Auburn will hold its first practice. Here’s a glimpse of what to expect from the Tigers this spring.

2015 record: 7-6 (2-6), beat Memphis in Birmingham Bowl

Final AP rank: N/A

2016 Way-too-early rank: N/A

2016 FPI rank: 21

Spring game date: Saturday, April 9

Key losses: RB Peyton Barber, WR Ricardo Louis, OL Shon Coleman, OL Avery Young, LB Cassanova McKinzy, LB Kris Frost, CB Jonathan Jones

Key newcomers: QB John Franklin III, WR Nate Craig-Myers, WR Kyle Davis, OL Darius James, DT Derrick Brown, DE Marlon Davidson, LB T.J. Neal

1. Who will win the starting quarterback job?

There’s a nervous excitement around Auburn heading into the spring. If they can find a quarterback, the Tigers should be able to compete in the SEC West. If not, it could be a repeat of last season. And nobody wants to see that.

The race, however, is more wide open this year than it was a year ago.

Both Jeremy Johnson and Sean White are back on campus. The two took turns as the starter last year, but both were plagued by inconsistency. Will it be different this year? Johnson won’t have such high expectations put on him this year, and White -- just a redshirt freshman last fall -- will have more experience to grow from.

Or will the struggles continue? If that’s the case, Auburn might turn to junior college transfer John Franklin III (or JFIII as some fans already are calling him). Franklin, a former backup at Florida State, has a game similar to that of former Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall.

There’s also Tyler Queen, a redshirt freshman who missed all of last season due to a shoulder injury, and Woody Barrett, a true freshman who won’t arrive until the summer.

It’s unlikely anybody wins the job in the spring, but it’s still the top storyline.

2. What will the defense look like under Kevin Steele?

When Steele was hired to replace Will Muschamp as defensive coordinator, it didn’t send shockwaves through the SEC like it did when Gus Malzahn hired Muschamp the year before. It might have left a ripple seeing as Auburn plucked him from an SEC West rival, but that was it.

Steele has been around the conference for a long time, though. He remembers the last time Auburn had a defense feared by other teams, and he intends to get back to that.

The only problem is that it’s been awhile since Auburn has had one of those defenses. The last time the Tigers finished even in the top half of the SEC in total defense was 2007. It’s part of the reason the school is now on its fifth coordinator in the past six years.

The good news for Auburn is that both Carl Lawson and Montravius Adams opted to return to school. Lawson, in particular, is a game-changer when healthy. So between Lawson, Adams, Dontavius Russell, Byron Cowart and a trio of ESPN 300 recruits, the defensive line should be among the more talented units in the SEC.

After that, there are plenty of intriguing players, such as linebacker Tre Williams or cornerback Carlton Davis, but it will be up to Steele and the other coaches to see where they all fit and what style of defense fits them. That starts this spring.

3. Which (non-QB) newcomer will have the best spring?

It seems like every year Auburn has a newcomer break out in the spring. There was Cam Newton in 2010, though the staff didn’t let him do much in the spring game. There was Cameron Artis-Payne in 2013 and D’haquille Williams in 2014. Even junior college transfer Jovon Robinson turned heads last year during spring practice.

Who will it be this year?

Franklin is the obvious candidate because of his position, but looking at non-quarterbacks, there still are plenty of options on Auburn’s roster.

Kyle Davis is one of three ESPN 300 wide receivers to sign with the Tigers, but he’s the only one to enroll early. At 6-foot-2, 208 pounds, he has the size and speed to be an impact player and will push for early playing time in the spring.

Antwuan Jackson Jr. and Marlon Davidson, two of the three ESPN 300 defensive linemen mentioned above, are both on campus now and ready to make their presence felt up front.