It's been barely two months since Alabama stunned Georgia in a thrilling national championship victory. But much has changed for the Crimson Tide. The coaching staff has been overhauled. Quarterback Jalen Hurts' starting job is no longer secure. And secondary looks nothing like it did in 2017. These are among the top five storylines to watch entering spring practice, which begins Tuesday.

5. Alabama will introduce a new kicker and punter

Before last summer, there was a lot of buzz surrounding Joseph Bulovas. The incoming freshman seemed in line to become Adam Griffith's successor and solidify a position of weakness. Bulovas, after all, was rated the top kicker in the 2017 class by Rivals.com. But Bulovas quickly became a curiosity after failing to beat out Andy Pappanastos, the former walk-on who has since exhausted his eligibility. Equipped with a strong leg but burdened by questionable accuracy, Bulovas has much to prove this spring.

So does Skyler DeLong, the early enrollee who is expected to replace punter extraordinaire JK Scott. DeLong will be heavily scrutinized because his predecessor was so good. But he will have one advantage Scott never had: A coach on staff with punting experience. The arrival of assistant Jeff Banks, who presides over special teams, should help DeLong as he tries to meet the high standard established by Scott.

4. The offensive line could be reshuffled

Brent Key is faced with a dilemma as the assistant coach attempts to retool Alabama's offensive line. He has four talented offensive tackles and only one vacant position along the blocking front, which is smack dab in the middle of the unit at center. What does he do? That's the question he'll have to answer as he aims to arrange the best starting five. And it's a tricky one. Jonah Williams and Matt Womack are back after playing the bookend spots last season. But Alex Leatherwood and Jedrick Wills showed they're ready to be regulars after excelling as freshmen.

Key is only tasked with replacing Bradley Bozeman, the 2017 Rimington Trophy finalist who snapped the ball to Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa last season.

It's conceivable that left guard Ross Pierschbacher moves to center, which would open another spot and potentially lead to more shuffling. But don't expect Key to settle on a lineup until he's absolutely certain the best five players are included in it.

3. The secondary is being remodeled

The Alabama secondary that started the majority of games in 2017 no longer exists. It's been completely disbanded. This offseason, the Tide bid adieu to Minkah Fitzpatrick, Levi Wallace, Anthony Averett, Tony Brown, Hootie Jones and Ronnie Harrison. The loss of that much talent and experience would devastate most programs.

But this is Alabama, which is coached by an icon, Nick Saban, who climbed the ladder in his profession while tutoring defensive backs. Expect Saban to find a solution as he rebuilds the framework for this unit by turning to holdovers like safety Deionte Thompson and cornerback Trevon Diggs as well as newcomers, including junior college transfer Saivion Smith -- a former five-star high school prospect who is already on campus. Saban figures to experiment this spring, knowing that some highly-regarded freshmen are due to arrive in the fall -- most notably Patrick Surtain Jr.

It will be interesting to watch how Saban initiates the process of revamping a secondary that was the backbone of the defense last season.

2. Coaching staff changes could lead to Nick Saban taking more ownership of defense

Alabama has six new coaches on staff. And only two of Nick Saban's assistants -- Brent Key and Tosh Lupoi -- supervise the same position groups they did last season. Of course, Lupoi is also now the team's defensive coordinator after receiving a promotion in wake of Jeremy Pruitt's departure. With Lupoi elevated to such a significant role, it raises the question of whether Saban will have to take more ownership of the defense than he has in years past.

After all, Lupoi's expertise lies in generating a pass rush. Yet Saban's scheme is predicated on a very nuanced coverage system that involves the linebackers and defensive backs. Lupoi's two predecessors, Pruitt and Kirby Smart, once presided over the secondary and their knowledge base from coaching the back end helped them once they were tasked with making the calls for the entire defense.

Lupoi will have the support of Pete Golding, the co-coordinator who has a background coaching defensive backs. But he's a new face as well, which could mean Saban will have to be more involved in overseeing the defense than he was when Smart and Pruitt were on staff.

1. The Jalen Hurts vs. Tua Tagovailoa quarterback battle

Back in January, the juiciest storyline of the offseason was established. That's when Tua Tagovailoa entered the national championship game in the second half in relief of starting quarterback Jalen Hurts and then led a comeback of the ages en route to Alabama's 17th national title. It appeared the torch was passed from Hurts to Tagovailoa on that night.

But earlier this month Nick Saban tried to dissuade outsiders from making that conclusion, saying it was a possibility that both could play in some kind of egalitarian arrangement.

It was his way of getting out in front of the conversation before it mushrooms into a wild debate.

But Saban, who seems to loathe the idea of a quarterback controversy, won't be able to avoid questions about the competition between the Tagovailoa, the gunslinger, and Hurts, the athletic game manager. These two will duke it out throughout the spring and the battle is expected to bleed into the summer -- as long as both stick around.

Eyes will be on each player until Saban clearly explains his plan for both.

Rainer Sabin is an Alabama beat writer for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @RainerSabin