Auburn is a mystery team of sorts, as the Tigers must find a way to replace nearly the entire offense in one brushstroke. Running back Rudi Johnson, wide receiver Ronney Daniels and quarterback Ben Leard – the respective leaders in rushing, receiving and passing – are all gone, leaving mass uncertainty in their wake. The Tigers will be heavily counting on signees to fill several roles. There could also be problems in the defensive backfield, where proven talent is at a premium.

The two go-to guys in 2001 could be an incoming freshman (RB Carnell Williams) and a wide receiver (DeAndre Green) who was ineligible in the spring. Auburn will still operate from the one-back set quite a bit, as Brandon Johnson isn’t quite the caliber of fullback Heath Evans was. But the hallmark of winning SEC football is a solid ground game, and the Tigers will have to have that in order to win ballgames.

QUARTERBACK

Competition #1: Junior Daniel Cobb versus freshman sensation Jason Campbell. Cobb holds the edge coming out of spring training, and is the current player most akin to departed star Ben Leard. Cobb’s arm is better, but he lacks Leard’s experience with SEC defenses. Campbell is a bigger, stronger version of Dameyune Craig, and is the favorite of many fans -- and presumably the coaching staff as well – to win the job before season’s end. Jeff Klein is a blue-collar backup to both players, and has by far the most game experience of any QB on the roster. If Cobb can’t get a handle on the speed of the SEC, Klein might be called upon to be a bridge to Campbell’s inevitable ascension. Sophomore Allen Tillman competed for the job in the spring, but might be moved to another position to shore up depth.

RUNNING BACK

The name to remember here hasn’t even strapped on the pads. Incoming freshman Carnell Williams is expected to take the starting job fairly quickly. Redshirt frosh Ronnie Brown does a lot of things well but nothing spectacularly, and Casinious Moore, unfortunately, will probably never live up to his potential due to recurring severe injuries. That basically leaves Williams, who is one of those rare players who actually will live up to his prep hype. Williams was the top-rated running back on the NARCAS Southeastern States board in 2000-2001, and if healthy, will challenge for the starting job very quickly. Aside from a catastrophic injury to Williams, the biggest concern of most observers is the fullback position, where Brandon Johnson is expected to fill the unfillable shoes of the departed Heath Evans. Johnson’s knees are trouble spots, as is the depth behind him. Only Michael Owens, a converted tailback, has any measurable experience.

WIDE RECEIVERS

There are lots of recognizable names in this bunch, but not a lot of returning production. Marcel Willis leads returning players with 27 receptions and 352 yards, while Tim Carter, a speedy but inconsistent player, and DeAndre Green, who possesses nearly the bulk of a tight end, will be the other two featured receivers. The tight end duo of underrated Lorenzo Diamond and Robert Johnson form a formidable pairing, although Johnson must show he can stay healthy. Beyond this group, however, things get thin in a hurry. Jeris McIntyre has some experience, although redshirt freshman Trevor Bowman is ahead of him at this point. A signee or two may be called upon to play early.

OFFENSIVE LINE

This is the strength of the offense, which is a testament to Auburn coaches – because the same players two years ago were liabilities, not strengths. Kendall Simmons gets the call at left tackle, but like several other key Auburn players, he must stay healthy or trouble awaits. Hart McGarry and Mike Pucillo form a guard tandem that has the potential to be very good, although each player is still prone to critical mistakes. Ben Nowland is a self-made man at center, a player whose second choice in recruiting is said to have been Princeton. The only question mark is right tackle, where Mark Pera, Ryan Broome and Monreko Crittenden all have gotten looks. Pera is thought by many to be the best of the bunch. Whoever starts there will have the luxury of Diamond and Johnson blocking next door at tight end.

There aren’t many household names on this defense, but they might play as a group better than any other in the conference. The sum of the Tiger defense is greater than its parts, but depth problems on the defensive line and holes in the secondary could prove lethal.

DEFENSIVE LINE

One of the biggest mistakes the Mike DuBose regime made at Alabama was not recruiting DeMarco McNeil, and McNeil now finds himself the cover boy for sports magazines, not to mention the anchor of this unit. Aside from McNeil, however, Auburn has questions that have yet to be answered: Can converted running back Reggie Torbor hold up to another full season of pounding at defensive end? Can Alton Moore put it all together and play to his potential? Can Spencer Johnson, a one-time outside linebacker, cut it as an every-down tackle? Can James Callier stay healthy for an entire season? If all the dice come up boxcars, Auburn won’t have much to worry about. End Javor Mills quietly goes about his business, providing a deft complement to McNeil’s bruising inside style. Moore and Torbor are more than fast enough for the job, while Johnson has immense internal fortitude. The reserve tackles – freshman Marcus Johnson and sophomore Marcus White – are largely untested, however. If Auburn should lose McNeil, the coaching staff might have to completely reshuffle all four positions.

LINEBACKERS

Auburn uses only two true linebackers in its defensive scheme. Dontarrious Thomas had a breakout season in 2000 and leads Tavarreus Pounds for one starting position. Mark Brown is a very pedestrian player, but like center Ben Nowland, lifted himself from recruiting question mark to contributor. Mayo Sowell is listed as his backup, but incoming signee LaMarcus Rowell seems a shoe-in for the role if he can pass entrance requirements.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Analysts might be inclined to give Auburn a free pass in this area due to the athleticism of the team’s safeties, but problems abound. The 2000 Auburn team finished a troublesome 9^th in the conference in pass efficiency defense, and the players that return for 2001 are part of the reason why. Free safety Stanford Simmons, a junior, now becomes the elder statesman and de facto leader of this group, and it is imperative that he improve his consistency. Whip Roshard Gilyard and rover Rashaud Walker are solid athletes, but they will have to really play above their heads to mask the problems at cornerback. Travaris Robinson, a converted wide receiver, draws one starting nod while Ronaldo Attimy will try to fight off Donnay Young and Roderick Hood for the other starting slot. It is a safe bet that Auburn will rely heavily on zone coverage in 2001 to mask the problems that are sure to crop up at corner against pass-savvy teams.

SPECIAL TEAMS

The coaches would prefer that Philip Yost take over the placekicking duties so that Damon Duval won’t have to pull double duty, but at this point Duval is the safe bet to handle both placekicking and punting chores. Duval is capable, but an injury to him would hurt as bad or worse than an injury to any other Tiger. Tim Carter is a dangerous return man.

The biggest variable in the equation is health. Several key contributors (Robert Johnson, James Callier, Casinious Moore) have spent the bulk of their college careers on the training table, and depth is such that Auburn cannot afford to take many hits to the starting group. Nevertheless, Auburn can and will probably win using the tried-and-true method of blowing the opponent off the ball, running the football, and stopping the opponent from doing the same in return. Problems will arise if the quarterbacks struggle mightily, the defensive line proves to be too much like a combat hospital or Damon Duval gets a case of the yips. In the absence of those factors, Auburn can be very good – maybe even making a serious run at defending its 2000 SEC Western Division crown.