Auburn had some work to do with Vodney Cleveland before his official visit.

Now, the Tigers are right back in the thick of the race.

The four-star defensive lineman out of Birmingham, Ala., was on campus last weekend for his official visit with Auburn. It was the first official visit Cleveland had taken, ahead of a busy next couple of weeks.

"This weekend has helped Auburn a lot," Cleveland said. "I would say Auburn is back in my top tier of teams. They're gunning for that one spot now."

During the visit, Cleveland spent more time talking with defensive tackles Coach Vontrell King-Williams, hanging out with players and other recruits, while also talking about where Cleveland fits into DJ Durkin's defensive scheme.

"He's a great coach, I love Coach Durkin," Cleveland said. "I feel like I fit great in his scheme with how he uses different fronts to help his guys succeed and make plays. He's definitely a big part of that."

Plenty of Auburn players have had an opportunity to play early on in their collegiate careers, and King-Williams believes Cleveland could contribute right away. Not necessarily come in and start, but get valuable reps to help develop him.

"I was talking to Coach King, he was like If you go in somewhere else and they throw you in the fire, if they're depending on you to come and start as a freshman, that's not a good fit," Cleveland said. "Then, you won't get developed like you should and stuff like that. He was just saying I already have the talent. I can come here, he could coach me and develop me, and I could be unblockable."

Cleveland also hears from his former high school teammate and Auburn freshman Jourdin Crawford about the program. The two have talked about what it would be like if Cleveland committed to Auburn.

"As a matter of fact, just talking to him this weekend about Auburn," Cleveland said. "It's just like, if you come here to your home state, fans will know you, plus the type of guy I am, I can come in and contribute. It would be just like old times with me and him playing together again."

Four other programs are set to host Cleveland on official visits this summer, with Florida, Georgia, Texas and Miami getting him on officials over the next month. Once he takes his official visits, Cleveland is hoping to have a decision by the end of June.