A lot has changed at Alabama since we last saw the Crimson Tide lose to Ohio State in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. After giving up boatloads of yards to the Buckeyes and Auburn to end last season, the defense has gotten a face-lift. And on offense, there's a whole new feel with the starting quarterback, starting running back and all three starting receivers gone.

So it's safe to say that there will be a lot of eyes on Alabama when it holds its spring game on Saturday afternoon. To get you ready, we came up with our top five things to watch.

1. QB battle: Whatever happens on Saturday, don’t get too excited. It’s important to remember that at this time a year ago we were watching Blake Sims struggle against a vanilla defense during the spring game, tossing two interceptions and narrowly missing a third. Watching Jake Coker roam the sidelines, we all assumed he’d enroll in the summer and win the job by the close of fall camp. We were wrong -- dead wrong, in fact. Coker has a second chance this go around, but he’s in a heated competition once again. Granted, the former backup to Jameis Winston at Florida State should be more comfortable in the offense and more familiar with teammates, but whether that clicks during live action remains to be seen. While Alec Morris, Cooper Bateman and true freshman Blake Barnett are in the mix, pay close attention to redshirt freshman David Cornwell. The former top-five quarterback recruit has the size, strength and mobility to develop into a starter in the SEC. The question is whether that time is now.

2. Defending the deep ball: Alabama has a number of question marks to address this offseason, but none may be bigger than settling the back end of the defense, which lost its best player from last season (Landon Collins) and whose lone returning starter (Cyrus Jones) is sidelined all spring with a hip injury. So, if anything, A-Day is an opportunity for some up-and-comers to make a name for themselves. At cornerback, keep an eye on a pair of former five stars from last year’s signing class: Tony Brown and Marlon Humphrey. Brown, who enrolled early, impressed many last season by seeing the field in all 13 games. Humphrey, who did not enroll early, redshirted. At safety, look for another 2014 signee, Hootie Jones. A physically imposing athlete at 6-foot-2 and 219 pounds, the true sophomore is in line for a starting position. Who starts alongside him is anyone’s bet, however, as even cornerback Eddie Jackson has thrown his hat into the ring by trying out the position.

3. Who steps up at receiver: Losing Amari Cooper is devastating. Lane Kiffin built his offense around the former Heisman Trophy finalist as he accounted for half of all receiving touchdowns. Over the last three years, only Florida State’s Rashad Greene and Kansas State’s Tyler Lockett had more receptions than Cooper’s 228. But unfortunately for Alabama, it’s not just Cooper who is gone. The team’s second and third receivers, Christion Jones and DeAndrew White, have moved on as well. So sorting out the depth chart is something of a fool’s errand right now. Chris Black, who came to Alabama in the same class as Cooper but had his development set back with a season-ending injury in 2013, figures to become a starter. So does Robert Foster, ESPN’s No. 2 WR in 2013, whom coach Nick Saban said has “really come on.” But don’t lose sight of ArDarius Stewart, who emerges as a playmaker last season. Big men Raheem Falkins and Derek Kief, who are each 6-foot-4, could have roles as well.

4. Talent in the trenches: If nothing else, it would have been interesting to see how Jonathan Taylor fit into Alabama’s defensive line rotation. But even now that the embattled former Georgia Bulldog is gone, the Crimson Tide are fine up front. While it seems unlikely that everyone’s preseason All-American A'Shawn Robinson will be full-go on Saturday with a knee and ankle injury, we’ll still get to see the pieces that have many thinking the Tide could have the best line in the SEC. Tackle Jarran Reed, who actually played better than Robinson for much of last season, is out to improve his NFL stock after bypassing the pros this offseason. And at defensive end, there’s a deep group of pass-rushers including Jonathan Allen, D.J. Pettway and Dalvin Tomlinson. But the one to watch might be Da'Shawn Hand, who played in nine games as a true freshman last season. The former five-star prospect didn’t participate in spring last season and could be poised to show what a full year under his belt has done for him when fans pack Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday.

5. 'El Tractorcito': It’s a ridiculous nickname. Ridiculously awesome, that is. If you don’t know how Derrick Henry became known as ‘El Tractorcito,’ take a second to read about it here. Caught up? Good, because if you’re just now learning about Henry’s bruising running style, you might be too late. The time for Henry is now. No longer stuck behind T.J. Yeldon on the depth chart, the 6-foot-3, 240-pound junior has been the talk of spring and the offseason conditioning program. With a full head of steam in 2015, he seems poised to make a name for himself outside the footprint of the SEC. A-Day might be a glorified scrimmage, but it could be the springboard into a Heisman Trophy campaign if he delivers more runs like this. With Henry delivering the thunder and a healthy Kenyan Drake bringing the lightning, Alabama’s running game could be as dynamic as ever.