Four-star OT ranks Auburn visit a perfect 10

AUBURN | A little southern hospitality, a big-time opportunity and some Taco Mama combined to make Malik Agbo’s trip a special one.

The four-star offensive lineman from Todd Beamer High School in Federal Way, Wash., spent the weekend in Auburn for the fourth of his five scheduled official visits.

“Oh, it was a 10 out of 10. It was a 10 out of 10 for sure,” said Agbo. "It’s just the home feel. It’s a small town but at the same time, it’s a big town because everybody knows you. All the guys are close together. It’s really a family atmosphere and I like that.”

Agbo, 6-foot-6 and 320 pounds, was in Auburn for the first time. He got a close-up look at the campus, the new Football Performance Center under construction and attended Saturday’s game against Mississippi State.

“It was a good experience,” said Agbo. “First time coming down here in the South. The southern hospitality is real. Just being able to bond with fans and the players and the coaches is really nice. Finally experienced what it’s like to be at an Auburn football game and potentially be a part of the program. It’s really cool.

“Everything I was looking for, it was there. It was nice.”

On Saturday, he saw first-hand AU’s need for offensive linemen, especially at the tackle position.

“Opportunity. We were talking about that. It’s big-time,” said Agbo. “Just to see during the game, ‘the O-Line needs to get a push’ and all that good stuff, there’s most definitely a need there. I could see myself there for sure.”

A local restaurant also provided Agbo a taste of what the city has to offer.

“Ahh man, what was it -- Taco Mama. That was good. That was good,” said Agbo. “The classic beef taco, it was really good. I was like, ‘What is this?’ Made me feel like I’d been missing out.

Agbo has previously visited Miami, Oklahoma and Texas, and has a final trip scheduled to Florida Nov. 26 before announcing his decision in his high school gym on Dec. 15.

“They stand with the best of them,” said Agbo of Auburn. “Oklahoma, Texas, Miami, and obviously I’m taking the trip down to Florida in two weeks. It’s those five.”

Agbo said his final decision will depend a lot on the relationships he’s made during the recruiting process.

“Really just breaking down what I got from it, from bonding with the players and coaches and just the day-to-day stuff,” he said.