Auburn Football Spring Game 2017: 5 things to watch for

With the Auburn football spring game just around the corner, we take a look at five things to watch for on A-Day.

The Auburn Tigers will wrap up spring practice April 8 with the annual A-Day game, and fans will have an opportunity to get an up-close and personal look at the 2017 squad.

After creating sky-high expectations during a magical run to the BCS National Championship Game in 2013, the Tigers have lost at least five games in the past three seasons. Last year, Auburn finished 8-5 overall and lost its three games against FBS opponents.

With fans growing restless, especially following three straight losses to both Alabama and Georgia, it’s a make or break year for Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn. Despite the reputation he built earlier in his college coaching career, Malzahn hasn’t been called an offensive genius much over the past three seasons. The Tigers led the SEC in rushing last year behind the running back duo of Kamryn Pettway and Kerryon Johnson, but Auburn has looked lost offensively at times during the last three seasons, and a major reason has been inconsistency at quarterback.

Both indecisiveness by the coaching staff (including shuffling between Sean White, Jeremy Johnson and John Franklin III early last year) and injuries to White in both 2015 and 2016, have affected the unit’s ability to settle down and find its rhythm.

That has left the defense to pick up the slack, and with several key defensive playmakers off to the NFL or out of eligibility following the 2016 season, there are also question marks on that side of the ball.

Nevertheless, expectations are still high on The Plains. The roster is talented and experienced, and the schedule sets up nicely. But, before we get ahead of ourselves, we take a look at five key storylines from spring practice and for the A-Day spring game.