It's safe to say that no team in the country will draw more attention for its first week of spring practice than Michigan.

That's because the Wolverines are headed to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, to open up spring drills. It's a clever move by head coach Jim Harbaugh to enhance the program's visibility in a key recruiting area and to do so at a high school that produces loads of blue-chippers. In the process, Harbaugh has angered SEC and ACC coaches and may well prompt new NCAA legislation to prevent this from happening again.

So there will be a lot of eyeballs on Michigan's practices in Florida. But the Wolverines have work to do as well, if they want to improve on last year's highly-promising 10-win campaign. Here's a preview of what's in store this spring in both Florida and Ann Arbor for the Maize and Blue:

Spring schedule: Michigan will kick things off Monday in Bradenton. The final practice in Florida, next Friday, will be open to the public. The Wolverines' spring game will be held April 1 and will take place at night at the Big House for the first time.

What's new?: There's a new boss on defense. D.J. Durkin left to become the head coach at Maryland and former Boston College defensive coordinator Don Brown replaced him. The Wolverines will also have a new defensive backs coach -- reportedly Brian Smith from the Philadelphia Eagles -- and Chris Partridge was promoted from recruiting director to linebackers and special teams coach. The biggest change in on-field personnel is the loss of senior quarterback Jake Rudock.

Three things we want to see:

1. Clarity in the quarterback picture: Rudock's departure creates a major opportunity and a major hole to fill on a Big Ten title contender. Houston transfer John O'Korn is considered the frontrunner to succeed Rudock; he played two seasons with the Cougars and spent last year learning the Harbaugh system while sitting out under transfer rules. Brandon Peters may be the future at quarterback for the Wolverines but is only a true freshman. Redshirt freshman Alex Malzone, redshirt sophomore Wilton Speight and even Shane Morris are all in the picture as well. It would be great for the Wolverines if O'Korn or someone else ran away with the job and clearly established themselves as the No. 1 guy going into the summer.

2. Answers at linebacker: Michigan loses all three senior starters at linebacker -- Joe Bolden, James Ross III and Desmond Morgan -- from last year's team, and the position was merely good, not great, to begin with. Senior Ben Gedeon is the only returning player with experience, so this will likely be a green crew. It's going to be a big spring for early enrollee Devin Bush Jr., whom many expect to grab a starting spot right away. More options must emerge for the Wolverines to create credible depth at linebacker.

3. Improvement in the running game: For Michigan to truly take the next step, it needs to become a dominant running team. The performance in the Citrus Bowl against Florida, when De'Veon Smith ran for 109 yards and the Wolverines' front pushed the Gators around, was highly encouraging in that regard. Now add to the mix Kareem Walker, an early enrollee who was one of the top running back recruits in the country, and something special could be brewing. Michigan also needs to figure out the right combo on its offensive line, especially in replacing Graham Glasgow at center. Mason Cole, who has started the past two seasons at left tackle, will get work there this spring to see if that move works.