AUBURN | The competition should be fierce in Auburn’s secondary even with three of five starters returning.

It also has the potential to be a team strength with the number of experienced players returning along with a big group of signees being added to the mix.

It’s a pretty good starting point for first-year secondary coach Zac Etheridge, who will inherit the top three cornerbacks from last season plus one starting safety.

Roger McCreary is back as the No. 1 cornerback along with Nehemiah Pritchett and Jaylin Simpson to compete for the other starting position. McCreary started 10 of 11 games last season, Pritchett the final 10 games and Simpson the opener, earning SEC Freshman of the Week honors, before suffering an injury.

Marco Domio started for McCreary in the Citrus Bowl so the Tigers will return four cornerbacks with starting experience.

Ladarius Tennison is expected to step in for Christian Tutt as the full-time starter at nickel after starting the final two games of last season. Domio or one of the other cornerbacks could provide depth there along with Zion Puckett, who started one game at nickel last year.

Smoke Monday returns as a starting safety but Auburn must replace the other starter, Jamien Sherwood, and key backup Jordyn Peters. The top candidates to play alongside Monday are Puckett, Traivon Leonard, who opted out last season, Chris Thompson Jr. and Eric Reed Jr.

More help has already arrived in Ahmari Harvey and Kamal Hadden, who signed in December and enrolled in January. Harvey, from junior college, projects as a safety while Hadden should compete for a spot at cornerback.

Armani Diamond, who signed in December, along with Cayden Bridges and Juwon Gaston, who signed Wednesday, will add further depth this summer. Diamond is expected to play cornerback while Bridges and Gaston project as safeties or potentially nickel.

That's 12 defensive backs for Etheridge to work with this spring, 15 by the fall and potentially more to come. Bryan Harsin listed defensive back as one of three areas of need during his Signing Day press conference. AU has space to add as many as 6-7 more signees in the class and will continue to evaluate players in the transfer portal, junior college and high school.

POTENTIAL DEPTH CHART

** This is not meant to be a final version of where players will end up on the actual depth chart but just an indication of the depth and versatility Auburn has in the secondary.

CORNERBACK

Roger McCreary

Marco Domio

Kamal Hadden

CORNERBACK

Nehemiah Pritchett

Jaylin Simpson

Armani Diamond

NICKEL

Ladarius Tennison

Zion Puckett

Domio

Juwon Gaston

SAFETY

Smoke Monday

Chris Thompson Jr.

Ahmari Harvey

SAFETY

Puckett

Traivon Leonard

Eric Reed Jr.

Cayden Bridges