How close was Martez Ivey to signing with Auburn?

On National Signing Day 2015, Martez Ivey had a difficult decision to make.

Auburn or Florida? The five-star offensive lineman had been torn for the majority of his recruitment. He grew up rooting for the Gators, but his best friend Chandler Cox was committed to the Tigers and constantly in his ear.

In the end, Ivey picked Florida. On Tuesday at SEC Media Days in Hoover, the 6-foot-5, 305-pounder shed some light on the process.

"(With) my best friend going to Auburn, I opened my eyes up to Auburn and I saw what they had to offer as well," Ivey said. "It was definitely a hard choice, choosing between Auburn and Florida, but I had to go stick with my heart and had to go with the Gators... I knew in the 10th grade that's where I wanted to go."

Ivey and Cox starred at Apopka High School in Florida before moving on to college. Ivey started 12 games for Florida last season and earned All-SEC Second Team honors. Cox shared time at H-back for Auburn as a freshman before starting every game last season.

The former teammates have yet to play against each other, as Auburn and Florida aren't scheduled to play until 2019. However, it hasn't affected their friendship much.

"Oh yeah, I talk to (Cox) all the time," Ivey said.

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