It’s official — the ink of Tahaad Pettiford’s national letter of intent is dry and the 5-star combo guard out of New Jersey is bound to Auburn.

Bruce Pearl and the Auburn men’s basketball program received Pettiford’s signed letter of intent Wednesday morning — the first day of the week-long early signing period for Division I basketball.

Pettiford, a 6-foot-1 consensus 5-star prospect according to 247Sports, Rivals and On3, has been committed to Pearl and the Tigers since Feb. 1, 2023. The left-handed guard chose Auburn over the likes of UConn, Kansas, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Seton Hall and UCLA.

After visiting Auburn during an official visit on Sept. 17, 2022, Pettiford called campus “a second home” and cited his visit as a major factor in his decision.

With the official addition of Pettiford, who ranks as the second-best point guard in the 2024 recruiting class, the Tigers have added one of the nation’s top point guards in back-to-back years. Last year, it was Aden Holloway who highlighted Pearl’s recruiting class.

In August, Pettiford participated in a star-studded showcase at the Under Armour Next Elite 24 boys’ basketball showcase in Atlanta.

And while Kansas commit Flory Bidunga was set to be the talk of the town that evening, it was Pettiford who stole the show during the abbreviated game, which was cut short due to an unsafe outdoor court that had been doused with rain hours prior.

Between Pettiford throwing down dunk after dunk during pregame warmups, to pulling up from the logo several times, the Auburn commit was the most exciting athlete on the floor.

And soon enough, that same excitement will be coming to Auburn’s Neville Arena.