Thursday marks the beginning of August and Auburn's 2024 fall camp as Hugh Freeze begins his second year in charge of the Tigers. While nothing may be figured out during the first several practices, some question marks heading into camp need to be carefully watched as Auburn works its way toward the August 31 opener against Alabama A&M.

There are obvious ones: will Payton Thorne return to form as a successful quarterback, and who will be the workhorse at running back for the Tigers? Here are five that we are focusing on as fall camp begins on Thursday morning.

There's no question that this class of freshmen wide receivers is talented. That's not in doubt. However, adjusting to the college game often takes even the most gifted players some time. Cam Coleman and Bryce Cain had the advantage of going through spring practice and should be used to what it takes to be an athlete in the SEC. This will be the first experience for Perry Thompson and Malcolm Simmons Jr., though, and while they have had the summer to get up to speed, once the pads go on and the speed cranks up to 11, they might have some problems. Thompson and Simmons are both capable of contributing this season. They need not to get lost in all the information coming at them and play their game.

It's been repeated ad nauseam, but the Tigers lost a lot of production in the secondary from last season. Add in the season-ending injury to Tyler Scott and Colton Hood entering the transfer portal, there are some concerns about the depth of the third level of D.J. Durkin's defense. The addition of Jerrin Thompson, along with Laquon Robinson, helps, but some young guys must step up and prove they can be counted on. Could Caleb Wooden, who saw action as a backup in 12 games last year, be the guy? Will Sylvester Smith get his head on straight and start showing his skills? Will Champ Anthony take up the slack? All three of these guys will be given shots to show their worth.

If there's been any weakness during the last several years for Auburn, it has been upfront on the offensive line. Jake Thornton took over a group taped together with little care by the two previous staffs, which led to trouble in short-yardage situations, along with Thorne running for his life many times.

Connor Lew will be a mainstay at center, while adding Percy Lewis at left tackle should give Thorne more comfortability in not having his blindside attacked. Now, it depends on Dillon Wade, Jeremiah Wright, Izavion Miller, Tyler Johnson and others to dominate in the trenches.

It seems that Alex McPherson might not be ready for the start of the season after battling an illness this offseason. That makes the late signing of Auburn HS product McGough so critical. McPherson was perfect in field goal and extra point attempts last season, but McGough showed what he is capable of during Auburn's A-Day game, hitting on all seven field goal attempts, including a 58-yarder to give the offense the victory. Will Auburn's run of successful kickers continue with him while McPherson recovers?

Maybe Auburn's most significant loss on either side this offseason was the graduation of Marcus Harris upfront. He regularly took up space, stuffed the run and made life difficult for opposing offensive lines. Jayson Jones is a good candidate to fill the role at nose tackle, while Trill Carter will likely be a valuable backup. Isaiah Raikes, a transfer from USC and Texas A&M, helps add experience at defensive tackle. It will depend on Gage Keys and others to be productive, so those guys aren't out on the field too much.