When asked recently why Auburn was his leader, 4-star safety Ladarius Tennison of Rockledge (Fla.) couldn't single out one thing.

Instead, he listed several reasons, notably his relationship with safeties coach Wesley McGriff, his love of the Tigers' defensive system and the atmosphere in Auburn. Then, he noted, "They're showing a lot of love."

On Saturday, Tennison reciprocated that affection.

Via Twitter, the touted recruit from the Sunshine State committed to Gus Malzahn's program to give the Tigers a recruiting win over the likes of Florida, Miami, North Carolina and Texas A&m. Tennison, a former Hurricanes pledge, is commitment No. 19 for the Tigers, who have the country's No. 7 recruiting class according to 247Sports.

The 5-feet-9, 193-pound Tennison is the No. 5 athlete and No. 226 overall recruit nationally in the industry generated 247Sports Composite. Auburn has recruited him (heavily, we might add) to play the nickel/star position in the secondary.

Tennison officially visited the Tigers one weekend ago with multiple family members.

“It was great,” Tennison told 247Sports. “It was a great experience being back there and getting to talk with the coaches and see them play their first game. It was great seeing the atmosphere and see how it feels and looks to be in the SEC. It was a great experience.”

While McGriff was extremely active in this recruitment, receivers coach Kodi Burns actually was Tennison's area recruiter. Tigers coach Gus Malzahn, defensive coordinator Kevin Steele and cornerbacks coach Marcus Woodson also were heavily involved. According to Tennison, he has grown particularly close with McGriff, affectionately known as "Coach Crime," and Woodson.

“Those guys are real cool,” Tennison said. “They are real great coaches. They are like family. They’ll tell you stuff and keep it real with you. They keep it, 100.”

In Florida's Space Coast (The region around the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on the state's Atlantic coast), Tennison is thought to be among the area's most productive prospects in recent memory. The area has produced its share of football standouts, from NFL stars Cris Collinsworth and Wilber Marshall four decades ago to Jamel Dean (Auburn) and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (Florida) in recent years.

“There’s a high possibility he’s going to be one of the best guys ever to come from this area,” Rockledge High coach Wayne Younger said.

In 2018, Tennison rushed for 1,055 yards and 12 touchdowns on 8 yards per attempt, caught 13 passes for 356 yards, led the team with 124 total tackles, recorded 10 sacks and picked off a pass. He's off to a strong start this season.

With 19 commitments, Auburn now has room for up to six more in the 2020 class. They Tigers hope to add a tight end, three defensive linemen and two more defensive backs. In the secondary, Auburn has one corner and two safeties committed.

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