Auburn impresses Poutasi

AUBURN | Poutasi Poutasi’s official visit to Auburn this weekend will be hard for other schools to top.

“They set the bar pretty high,” the offensive guard from Desert Pines High in Las Vegas said. “Everything was great. Everything was beautiful. I loved everything about it.”

Poutasi arrived in Auburn on Friday and spent the weekend touring the campus and facilities and meeting with the coaches and players. His player host on the visit was freshman offensive lineman Kaleb Kim.

“We hung out and just chilled,” Poutasi said. “He’s a great guy. All of the players are nice. They welcomed me with open arms.”

Poutasi also spent a lot of time meeting with offensive line coach Herb Hand.

“He’s a great guy, too,” Poutasi said. “I loved him. I love his personality and what he’s about.”

Auburn didn’t extend an offer to Poutasi, but didn’t rule out doing so in the coming weeks.

“They told me to wait this week and see how it plays out,” Poutasi said. “They said everything will play itself out.”

Should Auburn offer, the Tigers would be at or near the top of Poutasi’s list.

“It would mean a whole lot,” Poutasi said. “I love this place. They made me feel at home. I saw a lot of things and everything was great.”

Poutasi will play in the Polynesian Bowl next weekend in Hawaii. He has a visit planned to Ole Miss Jan. 27-29. A mid-week visit to UCF also is a possibility.

Poutasi, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 290 pounds, will wait until Jan. 31 or Feb. 1 to announce his decision.