With two new coordinators, a new quarterback, a completely different look on offense and the loss of four NFL draft choices from the defense, it would be easy to dismiss Auburn from serious contention in the SEC West.

Coach Tommy Tuberville, now entering his 10th season at Auburn, is convinced his team has what it takes to win the division.

"This group has a great opportunity, but it all depends on the next few months," Tuberville said. "How hard do they want to work to get to Atlanta and win in Atlanta (for the SEC Championship Game)? There's a lot of other teams out there with a lot of talent.

"This could be a good group if they come together, continue to get better, do all their work in the offseason, come back and have a positive two-a-days."

The Tigers spent the spring continuing to learn the new spread offense run by offensive coordinator Tony Franklin. They got a crash course in the no-huddle attack in just nine days before the Chick-Fil-A Bowl and still rolled up a season-high 423 yards on 90 plays in a 23-20 overtime win over Clemson. The Tigers saw positive signs from their skill players, especially new quarterbacks Kodi Burns and Chris Todd.

"Everybody has the same type of athletes, everybody has good players, everybody works hard and everybody is well coached," Franklin said. "It's just a matter of are we going to be special? Are we going to go the extra mile? Are we going to be unselfish and pass up personal things for the team? That's how you win a championship."

A new defensive coordinator in Paul Rhoads doesn't mean a new defensive system for the Tigers, who return seven starters and numerous backups who saw significant playing time due to injuries to starters in 2007.

"I think this defense is more athletic than any defense I was associated with at Pittsburgh," said Rhoads, Pitt's defensive coordinator from 2000-07. "Without a doubt, there's enough talent here to win a lot of football games."

--DT Sen'Derrick Marks has started 26 straight games and makes the move back inside from end to tackle this season. Marks recorded 43 tackles last season, including nine behind the line of scrimmage and enters his junior year as a legitimate all-conference candidate.

--CB Jerraud Powers had 63 tackles, four interceptions and five pass deflections last season and continued to improve in the spring. With Patrick Lee and Jonathan Wilhite moving on to the NFL, Powers becomes Auburn's No. 1 corner.

SPRING MOVERS:

QB Kodi Burns -- Burns struggled to pass effectively as a true freshman and during the first two weeks of the spring before offensive line coach Hugh Nall showed new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin a copy of Burns' high school film. Burns had been a productive passer in high school but had lost confidence and developed some fundamental flaws. By the end of the spring, Burns was back on track as a passer.

WR James Swinton -- Swinton has played a limited role as a backup throughout his college career but took a big step in his final spring. He brings the kind of quickness and speed Auburn needs on the outside.

LB Craig Stevens -- The competition is thick at linebacker and Stevens, a sophomore, emerged as the No. 1 strongside linebacker after a good spring.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "In this new offense we are running, he uses his athletic ability. The problem he was having was throwing the ball well consistently. He has a great work ethic. His high school coaches did a good job. He's really gotten better. I don't know if he's going to be the starter, but he's going to play a lot. It's going to be a battle. I like his leadership. He's been here a year, but it seems like a lot longer. He's been a big part of our team so far and he's going to be a huge part of it the next few years." -- Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville, on sophomore quarterback Kodi Burns.

2008 OUTLOOK: The Tigers have two new coordinators, a new quarterback and some big holes to fill on defense but the foundation is solid for a program that has won at least nine games in each of the past four seasons. If the quarterbacks and receivers come through and the young defensive players grow up, the Tigers will have a chance to win the West.

SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: The Tigers return four starters up front and all four tailbacks, allowing them to move versatile Mario Fannin to slot receiver and use him in multiple roles. The real key will be the progress of QBs Kodi Burns and Chris Todd and the receivers. If the Tigers can pass effectively in their new spread, no-huddle offense, their running game will be even more productive.

SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: The Tigers lose four NFL draft picks from their offense but they also return talent across the board with players such as DT Sen'Derrick Marks, DE Antonio Coleman, MLB Tray Blackmon and DBs Jerraud Powers and Aairon Savage. They will be the progress of several young players who saw significant playing time last season due to injuries to starters. Savage could play either free safety or corner, depending on which incoming freshmen pan out in the preseason.

SCOUTING THE SPECIAL TEAMS: Auburn threw two freshmen into the fire last season and K Wes Byrum and P Ryan Shoemaker handled it, especially Byrum. The Tigers have plenty of potential for big plays in the return game with Tristan Davis and Robert Dunn.

ROSTER REPORT:

--Auburn had high hopes for JUCO transfer Chris Todd but a sore throwing shoulder kept him from meeting those expectations in the spring. Todd started his career at Texas Tech, where he ran a similar offense to what Auburn will be running under new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin, and spent last season at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College. Even with his throwing problems, Todd showed an obvious grasp of the offense and Franklin said the Tigers could go with a two-quarterback system in the fall.

--Mario Fannin missed most of the spring after undergoing surgery to correct a nagging shoulder problem but is expected to be ready to go in August.

--It came too late for spring practice but the NCAA granted senior DT Tez Doolittle a sixth year of eligibility. Doolittle missed the entire 2007 season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in the preseason.

Previous Report: 05/01/2008