Micah Riley-Ducker visited Auburn before the dead period was lifted in June, but it didn’t compare to an official visit this past weekend.

“The official visit was so much better than my first visit,” Riley-Ducker said. “I loved it. It was amazing.”

Riley Ducker, a four-star tight end from West in Bellevue, Neb., was able to meet with coaches, speak with players and get a better overall feel of the environment at Auburn.

“It was a great experience,” Riley-Ducker said. “I didn’t expect it to be that great, but I loved it. I really liked talking to the players. I really got their input on the program and where they think it’s going.”

Riley-Ducker liked what he heard.

“They said the playbook is a lot different than the playbook they had under the previous staff,” Riley-Ducker said. “They said they like it a lot better with the new staff. They also said the coaches really care about the players.”

Riley-Ducker also met with tight ends coach Brad Bedell.

“I looked over the plays with Coach Bedell,” Riley-Ducker said. “He showed me their base concepts. It’s a lot like ours, but their terminology is different. It wouldn’t be a difficult transition for me.”

Riley-Ducker left the visit on Sunday with Auburn among his top group of schools.

“They are in my final four,” Riley-Ducker said. “It’s between Iowa, Iowa State, Illinois and Auburn.”

Riley-Ducker visited Iowa State June 4-6. His next visit will be Thursday to Illinois and a final visit with Iowa June 25-27.

A commitment will come soon after.

“I’ll be ready to make my decision on July 7,” he said. “I’m looking at where I can play early and where I fit the best. I feel like I don’t have a bad option at this point. It’s just finding where I’m comfortable and where I can be the best I can be.”

Rivals ranks Riley-Ducker, who is 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds, the No. 15 tight end in the 2022 class and No. 3 overall recruit in Nebraska.