Baylor is full of compelling storylines head into head coach Matt Rhule's first season in charge of the Bears. Here is a look at five that could determine Baylor's success in 2017.

5) Who will be Baylor's top receiving threat?

Baylor has a significant hole at the top of its receiving depth chart after the early departures of Nos. 1 and 2 receivers K.D. Cannon and Ishmael Zamora. While Cannon's loss was to be expected, not having Zamora there to assume his mantle leaves more ground to make up.

The two most likely candidates are junior Chris Platt and sophomore Blake Lynch. More than likely, Lynch -- who was the fourth-leading receiver with 34 receptions, 404 yards and three touchdowns -- will be looked upon to take on the role considering he is built like a traditional top target at 6-3, 205, while Platt is a slot receiver.

The dark horse to watch will be sophomore Pooh Stricklin, who did not play in five games last year but showed promise in his limited snaps as a freshman.

4) How quickly will Matt Rhule win over the Baylor locker room?

This is not a unique question for Baylor's fall camp. It's one that will hang over any program that underwent a coaching change this winter, or even ones where the head coach flirted with another job opportunity. But head coach Matt Rhule and his relationship with his new roster will be an important storyline to watch as this season progresses in Waco.

By all accounts, Rhule is a personable guy who goes the extra mile to back up his players, as evidenced by his show of support for his former Temple players at the NFL combine and draft in the spring. This helped buy goodwill from the players during the spring and will likely smooth out the transition this fall. But how he handles adversity in the course of the season will play a much bigger factor in the team's loyalty to him.

3) Who steps up to fill holes in the defensive secondary?

Baylor has three gaping holes in its defensive secondary that it needs to fill. Three starters have used up their eligibility -- nickelback Patricks Levels, cornerback Ryan Reid and safety Orion Stewart. All three had long and successful careers at Baylor and will be sorely missed.

The good news is that Baylor returns three rising-seniors this year - nickelback Travon Blanchard, safety Chance Waz and safety Davion Hall. Waz and Hall each accounted for 52 tackles last season, meaning Baylor will have a couple of hard-hitters sitting behind the linebackers. However, Blanchard has been suspended pending an investigation into domestic violence allegations against him.

As for who will step at corner next to sophomore Grayland Arnold, Baylor will likely look to redshirt freshmen Raleigh Texada and Chris Miller. Both will be competing for playing time throughout the spring. True freshman Harrison Hand could make an impression this fall, too.

2) When do depth concerns turn into issues?

Baylor endured a flood of defections from its 2016 class following Art Briles' firing just before the signees were set to enroll at BU, in addition to the typical between-season transfers. Those losses did not become too apparent throughout the season considering most true freshmen redshirt to save eligibility anyway. But there was a possible warning sign of things to come when Baylor had to depend on true freshman quarterback Zach Smith when Seth Russell went down with a season-ending injury.

But this year after seeing key seniors like Russell, Orion Stewart, Kyle Fuller, Aiavion Edwards, Ryan Reid and more graduate and with fewer redshirt freshmen to fill the ranks, there are depth concerns. Cornerback, nickelback, receiver and both lines will certainly have depth concerns during the spring. If some guys on the depth chart fail to impress or decide to transfer, those concerns could turn into issues. Offensive line was reduced to a handful of scholarship players in the spring. An injury could mean a walk-on or a true freshman starting on the line.

1) Who wins the starting QB job?

Following senior Seth Russell's season-ending ankle injury, true freshman Zach Smith was thrust into the starting job. At first he struggled, throwing nine touchdowns and six interceptions in four losses. But when he got 24 days to prepare for the Cactus Bowl, Smith appeared to be a whole new quarterback. He completed 28 of 39 passes for 375 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in a 31-12 win over Boise State.

It was a compelling argument for Baylor's starting job in 2017, and Smith indeed enters spring practice as the favorite for the job. But Matt Rhule and his coaching staff recruited Arizona graduate transfer Anu Solomon for both depth purposes and to push Smith with competition in the offseason. Solomon had a strong freshman season at Arizona, completing 58 percent of his passes for 3,793 yards, 28 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Injuries derailed his sophomore and junior seasons before he decided to transfer. With immediate eligibility, Solomon will be looking for the chance to take over the team in his final year of school.

And then there's true freshman Charlie Brewer, who set a national record for passing percentage as a senior while leading Lake Travis to a state title. He showed flashes of his potential in the spring and could surprise people in fall camp.

So this competition will be the biggest story line to watch this fall. Smith enters as the favorite, but he is not untouchable with a new coaching staff and offense in place. Whoever gets a better grasp of the playbook and finds chemistry with the Baylor receivers will likely take over the top spot.

Twitter: @AdamGrosbard