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Auburn Football: 5 biggest questions facing the Tigers in spring 2018

By Connor Muldowney

ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 02: Head coach Gus Malzahn of the Auburn Tigers on the field prior to the game against the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 2, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 02: Head coach Gus Malzahn of the Auburn Tigers on the field prior to the game against the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 2, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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Auburn football is looking to continue its contention in the SEC and it all starts with the spring game. What are the five biggest questions facing the Tigers?

Auburn was somewhat of a surprise in 2017, finishing the regular season 10-2 with a win over Alabama at home. The Tigers earned a trip to the SEC title game behind a strong defense and a resurgent Jarrett Stidham under center.

The Tigers are back and ready to defend their SEC West crown. Alabama isn’t going to roll over and let the Tigers win the division in back-to-back seasons, especially after winning the national title and getting Auburn at home in 2018.

Despite going 10-4 in 2017, the Tigers will have plenty of questions to answer this spring. What’re the five biggest questions facing Auburn this spring?

5. Secondary ready to reload?

Auburn’s defensive backfield was one of the best in college football a season ago, allowing just under 200 yards per game through the air. In fact, they surrendered just 182.6 per game through the air, which helped the Tigers earn a trip to the SEC Championship.

However, Auburn is losing some key players from its SEC West-winning defensive backfield in 2017 such as Stephen Roberts, Tray Matthews and Carlton Davis. Roberts was fifth on the team in tackles and added six for loss from the safety spot. Matthews, a fellow safety, was second on the team in tackles and had two for loss, a sack and an interception. Lastly, Davis finished the year with 34 tackles and a pick at the cornerback spot.

While Auburn has proven to be a program that can reload in the past, will it be able to do just that in the defensive backfield this spring?

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