At least three of Auburn's 15 early signees will have a chance to see the field immediately as freshmen.

Defensive backs Quindarious Monday, Jamien Sherwood and Christian Tutt will all be factors in the Tigers' secondary in 2018, according to coach Gus Malzahn.

"There's no doubt," Malzahn said. "We recruited -- you see the guys we're losing in our two senior safeties. We're recruiting those guys to come in and help us, and they know it, and they all three have a skillset that they can."

Auburn loses four senior safeties after this season, including starters Tray Matthews and Stephen Roberts, and could potentially lose junior starting cornerback Carlton Davis to the NFL Draft. That leaves a preponderance of production, and experience, to replace on the back end of the defense for next season, particularly at safety, where the Tigers also lose Nick Ruffin and Jason Smith.

The only returning players with experience at safety next season are Daniel Thomas, Jordyn Peters and Jeremiah Dinson, though Dinson has mostly played at nickel. That's where Sherwood and Monday could step in.

Monday, a four-star recruit, is rated as the No. 7 athlete in the 2018 class and said on Sunday that he hopes to be able to compete for a starting job at safety as a freshman. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder out of Atlanta is a hard-hitting safety who could, at worst, be a backup next season.

Malzahn believes Monday has a high ceiling and said Wednesday that he will "probably play in the NFL."

"Smoke Monday is a tall, rangy guy, a defensive back," Malzahn said. "We think he can play corner, can play safety. He really plays with an edge and has a great personality. We're very excited about him."

Sherwood, also a four-star prospect, is rated as the No. 20 safety in the nation. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Sherwood gives Auburn another long, rangy option in the secondary. The Jensen Beach, Fla. Native will share the title as the Tigers' tallest defensive back next season with cornerback Jamel Dean, and he will surely add on some weight by the time fall rolls around.

"Jamien Sherwood, the defensive back, a big, athletic guy," Malzahn said. "He's 6-2, around 200. He played offense, played defense. I know a lot of schools were recruiting him to play offense. He's got that ability. I'm very excited about Jamien."

Those two will provide immediate relief at safety, while Tutt could crack the depth chart at cornerback and help supply more depth at the position next season.

Tutt, a 5-foot-11, 195-pounder out of Thomson, Ga., is another four-star prospect who is regarded as the No. 25 cornerback in the country. The U.S. Army All-American brings an "edge" to the position that excites Malzahn and defensive backs coach Greg Brown.

"He's got really good ball skills," Malzahn said. "He's a very good returner. What really stands out to me is his competitiveness. I'm very excited about him."

All three of those freshman defensive backs will go through spring practices, while Monday and Tutt are already on campus and participated in Auburn's bowl practices this week.

"The great thing is that all three are going to be here early and they'll go through spring," Malzahn said. "I just think that is very, very valuable."

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.