Auburn opens spring practice for the 2017 football season on Tuesday, Feb. 28. Each day until then, we’re going to preview one position group.

Up next, coach Tim Horton’s group: The running backs

Lost: Stanton Truitt

Returning: Kamryn Pettway, Kerryon Johnson, Malik Miller, Kam Martin

Newcomers for spring: None

Coming in the fall: Devan Barrett, Alaric Williams

Outlook: The question for Auburn at running back is not “who?” Pettway and Johnson are both back and have both proven that, when healthy, they are as dynamic a 1-2 punch at running back as there is in the SEC. Pettway, who had zero carries before 2016, rushed 209 times for 1,224 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Johnson rushed 182 times for 895 yards and 11 touchdowns. As a team, the Tigers finished sixth nationally in rushing offense. But there are questions. Namely, how will they be used, and who will create the depth behind them? First-year offensive coordinator has called more passing plays than runs in his three-year career, so it remains to be seen how he meshes the Air Raid aspects of his offense with the run/play action aspects of coach Gus Malzahn, something he has said he will do. And no matter how Pettway and Johnson are deployed, creating depth behind them will be critical. Both dealt with injuries that cost them games late in the 2016 season — Pettway and quad, Johnson and ankle — so with Miller lost for the season due to a knee injury suffered in Week 5, the Tigers were made very thin at running back. So thin they converted Truitt, a wide receiver who has since transferred to North Carolina a running back. The good news for Auburn is that Miller was able to do some football activities late in the season and should be ready to participate in some form during the spring. Martin played sparingly as a true freshman, but could be in a position to increase his role as he goes through his first spring with Auburn, especially if he was able to add some weight to his 182-pound frame. The Tigers will also get a boost in the fall from signees Devan Barrett and Alaric Williams, both of whom the coaching staff is very high on.