No. 1 DE returns
Oak Park, Ill., is 779 miles away from Auburn.
Yet, it's a trip that Nathaniel Marshall has made twice.
The No. 21 player in the 2025 class, the top player out of Illinois and No. 1 defensive end in the nation was back in Auburn Saturday. He returned for the first time since October of last year, when he was on campus for the Ole Miss game.
"I got to see more than I did last time and learn way more than I did from last time for sure," Marshall said. "Got to actually sit and have a day with Coach Vontrell (King-Williams), Coach (Hugh) Freeze, have an actual conversation with coach Freeze so that was nice."
What was the head coach telling Marshall?
"Today he really just gave me advice on keep staying humble, keep my grades right, staying on that right track to make it to the next level," Marshall said.
Aside from meeting with coach Freeze, he spoke with King-Williams, who took over as Auburn's defensive tackles coach when Jeremy Garrett left for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
"I could tell he really cares for his players, he knows what he’s talking about," Marshall said. "I know he can potentially get me to that next level."
Marshall, 6-foot-5 and 270 pounds, is being recruited as a defensive end by the Tigers. He also got a chance to meet with the strength and conditioning staff, but also had some discussions about NIL.
However, NIL isn't the most important thing in Marshall's eyes.
"I really care more about the people I surround myself with, if the coaches are gonna be able to take me to the next level or if the school is gonna supply me with connections for after football," Marshall said.
Auburn is sitting in a "top five" spot for Marshall following the visit, with Alabama, Michigan, Miami and Illinois also in contention. He plans on seeing those schools this summer, with official visits set up with Illinois and Miami in June.
He's hoping to have a decision before the season, but things are still not set in stone. Even if he were to commit before his season, fall official visits are still an option.