Last month, 4-star tight end Xavier Tiller narrowed down his list to three schools, leaving the Auburn football program in a recruiting battle with Florida State and Alabama.
This weekend, Tiller took his official visit to the Plains, which is sandwiched between official visits to Alabama and Florida State. He was originally committed to Texas A&M, but decommitted from the Aggies earlier this year in February. Despite having narrowed his list to three, his 247 Sports recruiting profile indicates he will still officially visit USC at the end of the month.
During his visit to the Plains, Tiller got the opportunity to spend time with current players and members of the coaching staff, including Head Coach Hugh Freeze and Tight Ends Coach Ben Aigamaua.
"I like the culture," Tiller said of Auburn, per Auburn Rivals. "I like how everybody is. It's only an hour and 30 minutes from my home. Big ball and then we get developed by coaches like Coach Ben."
The tight end has been a longtime target for the Tigers' coaching staff, so Tiller is very familiar with the last few years of Auburn football. Still, he says that he sees the vision and believes in what Freeze has been building on the Plains for the last three years.
"They're gonna definitely win this year," Tiller said. "He said give them three years. It's three years. They're gonna win...Just the players they got and how they work in the offseason. They put in their work trying to win."
After official visits to Alabama and Auburn, Tiller is set to see Florida State and USC before making a final decision. The coaching staff and Auburn's proximity to home are big factors in the Tigers' recruitment of Tiller.