This is the time of year when college football teams start plugging holes and finding replacements for players who have moved on.

Forget all that chatter about how important the practice time teams get before a bowl game is. Spring practice sets the tone and lays the foundation for the fall. Here's a look at what's going on at SEC campuses over the next two months (teams listed in alphabetical order):

ALABAMA (7-6)

Practice starts: Thursday.

Spring game: April 12.

Job openings: Help at wide receiver is on the way. Signee Chris Jackson has graduated high school and is on campus. More on the way when star signee Julio Jones arrives in August.

AUBURN (9-4)

Practice started: Feb. 28

Spring game: March 29

Job openings: Quarterback Brandon Cox is gone. New offensive coordinator Tony Franklin is using the spread offense. Kodi Burns has experience, but look for junior college transfer Chris Todd, sophomore Neil Caudle and freshman DeRon Furr to do battle.

ARKANSAS (8-5)

Practice starts: April 3.

Spring game: April 26.

Job openings: New coach Bobby Petrino will have to replace RB Darren McFadden, the Heisman Trophy runner-up. McFadden and fellow RB Felix Jones both turned pro a year early - and the Razorbacks also lost valuable FB Peyton Hillis, who was a senior last season. The most experienced RB returning is 5-foot-7 Michael Smith, who averaged 6.6 yards per carry last season as a redshirt sophomore. Smith has only 81 career carries.

FLORIDA (9-4)

Practice starts: March 19.

Spring game: April 12.

Job openings: The Gators plan to focus much of the spring on solidifying a defense that struggled mightily. The unit also lost two of its best players, safety Tony Joiner and defensive end Derrick Harvey, and has two new coaches. Freshman defensive linemen Troy Epps and Earl Okine already have enrolled in school and could make an impact. So have cornerbacks Jeremy Brown and Janoris Jenkins.

GEORGIA (11-2)

Practice started: March 3.

Spring game: April 5.

Job openings: Not many. Georgia returns 15 starters and lots of experience. TBs Thomas Brown and Kregg Lumpkin must be replaced to provide depth for Knowshon Moreno. Reshirt freshman Caleb King is expected to share carries with Moreno. King has good speed and big-play potential and almost played last season when Brown and Lumpkin were hurt.

KENTUCKY (8-5)

Practice starts: March 26.

Spring game: April 19.

Job openings: Quarterback Andre Woodson figures to be a first-day pick in the NFL draft, and his departure creates the biggest hole for the back-to-back Music City Bowl champions. Top candidates for the starting QB job include speedster Curtis Pulley, who missed last season for academic reasons, and sophomore Mike Hartline, Woodson's backup. Also gone is running back Rafael Little, but the Wildcats have plenty of depth there, with Tony Dixon, Derrick Locke and Alfonso Smith all returning.

LSU (12-2)

Practice starts: Feb. 29.

Spring game: April 5.

Job openings: Ryan Perrilloux, who appeared to be the heir apparent to senior quarterback Matt Flynn, has been suspended indefinitely for missing classes and team meetings. For now, the only two scholarship quarterbacks will be Harvard transfer Andrew Hatch and redshirt freshman Jarrett Lee. On defense, LSU must replace both starting cornerbacks and All-America safety Craig Steltz. Chad Jones, who played well filling in for an injured Steltz in the national title game, is expected to compete for a starting job. Two starting linebacker positions are open, as well the defensive line spot vacated by All-America tackle Glenn Dorsey.

MISSISSIPPI (3-9)

Practice starts: March 17.

Spring game: April 12.

Job openings: Running back is wide open with top two players gone. Unfortunately star signee Enrique Davis of Hargrave Military Academy won't start practice until August.

MISSISSIPPI STATE (8-5)

Practice started: Feb. 26.

Spring game: March 29.

Job openings: Mississippi State is searching for a center to replace Royce Blackledge, a senior whose eligibility expired. That's a fact not lost on coach Sylvester Croom, who was especially blunt in assessing his team's centers. "If anybody can find Royce Blackledge, see if you can get him back out here," Croom told the Clarion-Ledger.

SOUTH CAROLINA (6-6)

Start date: March 19.

Spring game: April 19.

Job opening: The biggest question is whether last year's part-time starter, Chris Smelley, or talented redshirt freshman Stephen Garcia takes over for QB Blake Mitchell. Smelley saw action last year, but mostly rode the bench after a poor performance in a home loss to Vanderbilt. Garcia came to school last January, but two arrests his first few weeks on campus got him suspended for spring practice. He may miss a few practices this spring because of missed classes.

TENNESSEE (10-4)

Practice starts: Tuesday.

Spring game: April 19.

Job openings: After patiently waiting for three seasons, redshirt sophomore Jonathan Crompton gets his shot at quarterback with the departure of Erik Ainge, but could get competition from sophomore Nick Stephens and redshirt freshman B.J. Coleman. Tennessee will have a new offensive look regardless of quarterback thanks to new offensive coordinator Dave Clawson. On the defensive side, the Vols must replace two linebackers in All-SEC Jerod Mayo, who skipped his senior year, and Ryan Karl.

VANDERBILT (5-7)

Practice starts: Tuesday.

Spring game: March 29.

Job openings: The Commodores have some major rebuilding to do. The problem was inconsistent quarterback play from Chris Nickson and Mackenzi Adams who must hold off Larry Smith, a former Alabama player of the year. Vandy wants to settle on a starter coming out of spring practice. Coach Bobby Johnson also must replace the SEC's career receptions leader in Earl Bennett and LT Chris Williams, a likely first-round NFL draft pick.

- From wire reports