Ladarius Owens is following in his uncle's footsteps in coming to play for Auburn.

Owens, a 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker from Jess Lanier High at Bessemer, Ala., signed his letter of intent Wednesday. His uncle, James, was the first black scholarship football player at auburn.

Owens' uncle, James, who now resides in Auburn, was the first black scholarship football player at Auburn. LaDarius said his uncle was understandably excited about his decision.

Rivals ranks Owens as the No. 4 recruit in the state, Auburn's top in-state recruit.

He is a four-star recruit by both scouting services. Rivals ranks him as the No. 8 linebacker; Scout has him 17th. Rivals also puts him as the 128th player nationally.

Here's Scout's take on him by Andrew Bone:

"Owens played throughout his high school career with his hand on the ground. He is a very athletic defender with great speed. He is aggressive and has excelled rushing the quarterback. He'll do well chasing down players in the backfield and running sideline-to-sideline once he learns the new position on the next level."

Here's Barry Every of Rivals:

• Speed: Blue Chip
• Size: Blue Chip
• Strength: Blue Chip
• Agility: Division I Player
• Lateral Pursuit: Blue Chip

On the Hoof: Looks like a big linebacker that is already physically mature. He has a similar body type to Alabama freshman linebacker Tana Patrick.

Needs Improvement: Needs to learn to play in space and develop instincts as an outside linebacker. This will mean turning his hips and dropping into pass coverage.

Most Impressive: He is very physical at the point of attack and does a nice job of diagnosing pass or run. Owens is also relentless in his pursuit of the football.

Conclusion: His nose for the ball and physical tools will take him a long way. If he can adjust to playing linebacker, he has the potential to be a multiple year starter with all-conference potential.

And yes, we have another YouTube video.