AU visit 'like a breath of fresh air' for Westphal

Fletcher Westphal had visited Auburn twice under the previous staff.

Following the visits, the Tigers weren't considered to be a serious contender in his recruitment. Then Hugh Freeze arrived and things changed. It's what led to a spring visit Friday.

"It was definitely good," Westphal said. "It was like a breath of fresh air compared to last year’s Auburn with (Bryan) Harsin and what not. It’s a completely new program, obviously a brand new facility, but the team culture has changed completely."

Freeze and Westphal had formed a bond while Freeze was at Liberty, and now that the head coach has transitioned to Auburn, the Tigers are back in the running for the 6-foot-8 offensive lineman.

"That’s definitely a huge part of why they’re a big competitor in my recruitment," Westphal said. "I really liked him when he was at Liberty and now he’s at an SEC school with all the bells and whistles."

While on his visit, Westphal got a chance to sit in team meetings and watch practice. It also gave him an opportunity to see offensive line coach Jake Thornton in action.

"I like him. This is my first time seeing him in action," Westphal said. "I really only talked to him over the phone before. Actually seeing him, meeting him and getting to sit down and talk, watch him coach his dudes and sit in the team meetings, I really like how he runs things."

Westphal still has some spring visits to complete before he figures out a top five schools. He'll visit NC State April 8, Arkansas April 15, Kansas April 16 and Washington later this month.

Auburn will have to wait and see where it falls in for Westphal's recruitment heading into the summer, but its left him with a strong impression.

"I love how it’s being ran here, it’s super high energy," Westphal said. "You just love to see it."