"Auburn family is real": Four-star DL praises Hugh Freeze's program following official visit this weekend

Four-star defensive lineman Valdin Sone has been showing strong interest in Auburn and named Hugh Freeze’s program among his top eight schools earlier in May. Over the weekend, he made an official visit to the Tigers and came away impressed.

"The culture here is amazing," Sone told Rivals. "I love Coach Freeze. I had a great chat with him yesterday. The Auburn family is real. The War Eagle, I mean, it's real."

Sone's top eight schools include Florida, Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Auburn, USC and South Carolina. He hasn’t announced a decision date or specific timeline, but it’s likely he will make his choice after finishing his official visits and has some criteria for his commitment.

"I got to see the field," Sone said. "I want to be a guy that doesn't come in and play and dominate. So whichever school is going to see that in me, that's where I'm going to go."

Sone has upcoming official visits scheduled with Alabama on June 6, Florida on June 13 and Oklahoma on June 20.

Valdin Sone opens up about early opportunity in Auburn

Valdin Sone was born in Sweden with Cameroonian roots and is relatively new to American football. However, he quickly emerged as one of the nation's top prospects, ranked as the No. 14 defensive lineman in the 2026 class by the On3 Industry Rankings.

Sone made a strong impression during practices at the 2025 Navy All-American Bowl in early January. For a player of his caliber, getting on the field early is a key factor in his college decision. Auburn’s track record of giving freshmen immediate playing time is something Sone takes seriously.

"They got back-to-back two true freshmen, All-Americans, at the D-line position," Sone told Rivals. "I feel like coming here, and what (defensive line) Coach Vontrell (King-Williams) has been telling me, the proof of it is they're going to play freshmen. If you're ready, they're going to play you.

"I feel like coming here and to visit here, I mean, it was a genuine connection. What he says is real, and where I want to go, I want to see the field early. I feel like Auburn is a place where I can see the field early."

The Tigers don’t have a defensive lineman committed in their 2026 class, which ranks No. 13 in the nation with seven committed players.