03/24 at 12:58 AM

Gene Chizik has had exactly 100 days to shore up a recruiting class, hire a nine-man coaching staff and learn the names of his nearly 100-man roster.

Starting today, he has a quarter of that time to see how it all meshes together heading into another 100 or so days away from the Auburn practice fields.

Auburn kicks off its first of 15 spring practices tonight at the Auburn Athletic Complex. Practices are closed to the public and, aside from three 25-minute sessions, the media, as well.

Here are five storylines to watch for before A-day, which is set for Saturday, April 18.

Quarterback Challenge
Think last year’s quarterback battle was wide open?

Double the candidates, and that’s what Chizik and offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn are looking at this spring.

“It’s going to be wide open,” Malzahn said in February. “We’re coming into this thing new and everybody’s starting new, and they’re going to have to earn it.”

Snaps will be divided among Kodi Burns, Chris Todd, Barrett Trotter and Neil Caudle in the early going, but Malzahn promised that the field will narrow as quickly as possible. Whether or not Auburn has a bona fide starter going into the summer depends on how the next month unfolds.

“At the end of spring you’d like to have a guy that can go into the summer and you’re able to say, ’Here’s our guy and he’s going to work with the timing of the ones,’ and all that, but that’s hard,” Malzahn said. “I can’t say that now for sure. Ideally that would be the best-case scenario. At the same time, you’ve got to have somebody that earns it, that separates himself from the rest of them.”

Burns would be considered the presumptive front-runner if Malzahn had a pecking order, which he doesn’t. Burns opened 2008 as the Tigers’ starter and started the final six games of the season after Todd fell out of favor and was permanently shelved with shoulder trouble.

Burns went 2-5 as a starter, with the two wins coming against Louisiana-Monroe and UT Martin.

Caudle and Trotter, though, could emerge as viable candidates.

“They’re all starting new,” Malzahn said. “And I think anytime you’re putting in a new system and new coaches at every position, that needs to happen.”

Line ‘em up
Though they aren’t exactly gaping, holes exist on both the offensive and defensive lines.

Offensive line coach Jeff Grimes will likely be looking for a new face to emerge at right tackle.

Ryan Pugh, who spent the bulk of 2008 at the position, will move to center, Grimes said. Grimes said the spot could be inherited by senior Andrew McCain, sophomore A.J. Greene or someone else who separates himself in spring and fall practice.

Otherwise, it’s a bit more clear-cut.

Lee Ziemba, who will be coming back from offseason knee surgery, should hold down his spot at left guard. Mike Berry and Byron Isom, each of whom played at right guard last season, would be likely candidates for the guard positions.

“Some of those guys may be unproven on game days, but may show us in spring ball that they’re just as deserving as starting as somebody else,” Grimes said. “Those guys will have the opportunity to do that.”

There are a few more openings on the defensive side of the ball. In fact, defensive line coach Tracy Rocker said every position is up for grabs.

That likely excludes senior Antonio Coleman, who decided against entering the NFL Draft, but the depth chart should be relatively fluid.

Auburn returns a number of regulars from last season’s defensive line, but lose starting defensive tackles Tez Doolittle (graduation) and Sen’Derrick Marks, who opted to enter the NFL Draft. Players such as junior Zach Clayton and senior Jake Ricks saw more action than was likely expected, as injuries decimated the unit throughout the season.

That fluidity on the depth chart will likely continue into the fall, when a number of newcomers arrive.

“You hope someone could come in and step up and play, but we all know when a young man walks in here, he’s going to stare at that big, pretty stadium for about 10 days, and he’s going to realize he’s finally at Auburn,” Rocker said. “So we’re going to have to go through that phase. Once he gets over that phase, he’ll be OK.”

The new guys
Two fresh faces will be on the scene this month and each could have an immediate impact at their respective positions.

Linebacker Eltoro Freeman and speedy running back Onterio McCalebb have enrolled at Auburn for the spring semester, maximizing their eligibility and allowing them to get a few early looks from their new coaches.

A former Benjamin Russell High School linebacker, Freeman signed with Auburn in 2007 but did not qualify academically. He’s spent the last year-and-a-half at Perkinston (Miss.) Gulf Coast Community College.

Freeman, who is considered to be game-ready for the 2009 season, redshirted the 2008 season. In 2007, he compiled 65 tackles, 17 tackles-for-loss, five sacks and two forced fumbles at the junior college.

“He’s an aggressive guy who plays downhill,” defensive coordinator Ted Roof said. “I think he’s going to be fun to coach. He’s got a lot of personality and a lot of zest for the game.”

McCalebb, meanwhile, could emerge as the playmaker Auburn lacked last season. The 6-foot, 170-pounder originally committed to Auburn for the 2008 season, but did not qualify academically. So, instead, he spent last year at Chatham Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia before signing with Auburn again.

“You never know until you get them out on the field and you see them react when, say, they get hit in the mouth,” running backs Curtis Luper said. “Then you know.”

Kick it
Tight ends coach/special teams coordinator Jay Boulware said there will be open competition at both the punter and kicker positions.

Punter Clinton Durst, who briefly quit the team this offseason, is coming off a surprisingly strong debut season, but could face competition from former All-SEC freshman Ryan Shoemaker, whom he beat out for the job before the 2008 season.

Kicker Wes Byrum, who thrived as a freshman, had a rough sophomore year and must now beat out Morgan Hull to retain his job.

“In the spring,” Boulware said, “everybody’s working to win a job.”

The boss in action
On the surface, Chizik and former coach Tommy Tuberville appear to be polar opposites.

While Tuberville was always quick to joke and chat at length with reporters, Chizik has approached his first 100 days as if he’s running a Wall Street firm.

But will that translate onto the practice field as well? How will it rub off on the players?

Answers will be a bit more clear a month from now.

“He’s pretty businesslike,” wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor said. “I think the big deal for him is — and I know people think that it’s corny — but he truly believes that we still have a chance to change these kids’ lives. He really wants them to be better men and obviously better football players.”

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