This is Ladarius Tennison's first season at UCF, but not his first go-round with Gus Malzahn.

The former Rockledge star initially signed up to play for Malzahn at Auburn, spending two years on the Plains before transferring to Ole Miss.

Malzahn was fired up during his press conference, letting it be known this will be a challenging camp as his team prepares for their second year in the Big 12. That's the Malzahn Tennison is used to.

"We're getting the old Gus back, so that's pretty good," Tennison said. "Everything's more urgent on the field. Everybody hustling off the field, on and off, just flying to the ball, trying to get turnovers.

So, I would say the urgency and the practices are going to get a little physical. We like that."

Tennison has seen action at safety, nickel and linebacker throughout his career. In 2022 at Ole Miss, he made eight starts in the secondary. He then made the switch to linebacker in 2023, playing in every game and was a starter by the end of the season.

During the spring, Tennison played nickel. But with Demari Henderson sidelined, Tennison is now focusing on safety.

"Right now, they've got me playing free safety," Tennison said. "Moving around, (playing) nickel, just playing wherever I could play. I would say any spot you put me at, I'd be able to play it."

Asked about young standouts, Tennison name-dropped cornerback Antione Jackson, a transfer from ECU. He had one of the notable highlights of the day with an interception.

"He's a new guy too, came in when I came in," Tennison said. "He's learning the system fast and just buying in. He's doing a great job just working on his skills and learning the system."

What does Tennison want to accomplish during his final year of college football?

"Me, personally, I just want to win," Tennison said. "I just want to build a relationship with the team. I mean, all that individual stuff comes when you play with a team that's won. So I would say really just building a bond and just winning and going to the championship."

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