AUBURN | When it comes to his five official visits, Dalton Toothman is all about relationship and fit.

The first stop for the standout offensive lineman from Vancleave (Miss.) High was Auburn this past weekend where he spent a lot of time with offensive line coach Jake Thornton and assistant Kam Stutts.

“Getting all the questions answered that I needed to ask. Just getting to hang out with them more, building relationships, that’s what it’s all about,” said Toothman. “A lot of kids now are about the money, but you can’t go somewhere on money and you’re not going to want to be there.

“So my thing is trying to build relationships and trying to find somewhere where I fit the program. Not just the coaches, but I want to be somewhere I think I’ll fit how they do things and the area I’m at. Just that aspect, I’ve got to figure that out more as I went throughout the weekend.”

Auburn certainly checked off a lot of boxes for Toothman, who is rated a three-star by Rivals and listed at 6-foot-5 and 295 pounds.

“That’s one of the biggest things I like about this place,” said Toothman of Auburn’s family atmosphere. “Just how Coach Thornton is. He’s just a guy that you can talk to. He’s a guy that’s not just going to be a coach — he’s going to coach you up but off the field, he’s going to help you out. Just trying to find somebody like that throughout this process is a big thing for me.”

The recruiting process will continue for Toothman in earnest over at least the next four weeks. He’ll visit Clemson May 30, Ole Miss June 6 and Mississippi State June 13.

There could be at least one more trip this summer.

“They’re not in my top four but Coach (Herb) Hand wanted me to come down to Florida State so I told him I’d go down to Florida State,” said Toothman.

Auburn told Toothman they like him as a combo offensive lineman that could play guard or tackle, which suits him just fine.

“I don’t care where I play, I just want to play football,” he said.

Toothman plans to make a commitment before the start of his senior season.

“Somewhere where I fit. I’m trying to find a family,” said Toothman. “Trying to find somewhere where I can develop, not just as a football player but as a man. Finding somewhere that I can thrive on and off the field.”