A month ago, 4-star linebacker and Auburn football commit Shadarius Toodle took an official visit with the Georgia Bulldogs, and following that visit, he declared Kirby Smart's program his top school in his recruitment. Not great words to hear from an Auburn commit.
However, Toodle was on Auburn's campus over the weekend for an official visit to the Plains— the last official visit on his schedule after seeing Georgia, Baylor and Michigan— and he had some good news for the Tigers.
"They don't compare to Auburn," Toodle said of the other schools recruiting him, per Auburn Rivals. "Auburn was top tier the whole visit...Auburn's definitely back in the top spot."
From Mobile, Alabama, Toodle is ranked as the No. 166 overall recruit and the No. 9 linebacker in the recruiting class of 2026. He is the No. 9 player out of his home state.
The highlight of Toodle's official visit to the Plains was getting to learn more about how he would be utilized in defensive coordinator DJ Durkin's schemes next year, but he also enjoyed getting to hang out with some of the current Auburn football players and learning more about life in the program.
"I feel like I fit great with how he develops other big linebackers like myself," Toodle said of Durkin. "The way he coaches — he's aggressive. He's a great teacher. He knows how to teach his players and have them in the best spot to be."
With his official visits finished, Toodle plans to announce a final decision and officially shut down his recruitment in the coming week. All things considered, it's looking good for the Auburn football program.