There's a saying that actions speak louder than words.

It's a phrase that especially sticks out to Miami commit Elijah Melendez.

One that he took into heavy consideration when assessing how his official visit to Auburn went over the weekend.

"The actions and everything as part of the plan they got for me, that speaks louder than anything recruitment wise," Melendez said. "It’s real and it’s really all about football and family...It was amazing, really good visit, really eye opening. Lot of good things this weekend, just overall I had an amazing weekend."

Melendez, 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, pledged to Miami in December and has stuck with that commitment since then. Do the Tigers have a chance at changing that following this weekend?

"Yeah, for sure," Melendez said. "I really consider Auburn. Great visit, great time. I’m gonna be back in the fall, maybe even in the summer for Big Cat Weekend."

While on the visit, one of the highlights was spending time with members of the coaching staff — specifically head coach Hugh Freeze and defensive coordinator DJ Durkin.

"Building more of a tight relationship bond with them, really seeing the plan they got for me here," Melendez said. "Really being able to trust them, they gained a lot of trust from me this weekend, so that really helps a lot."

Durkin, who also serves as the linebackers coach, envisions Melendez fitting in as a Mike linebacker for the Tigers.

"Me and him got the same personality and passion when it comes to football," Melendez said. "Playing for a coach with the same personality and passion with me everyday, that would really make me a way better football player and get me to where I want to be."

This weekend was his first official visit, with at least two more this month. He'll visit Oklahoma June 14-16 and return to Miami June 21-23. It appears that Auburn's set the tone for the remainder of the visits, though.

"Everything about it is really good, you can’t really beat this," Melendez said. "Every visit that I’m taking has to live up to this standard."

Melendez plans to return for a multi-day visit at a later date, and perhaps for Big Cat Weekend in late July.

What sticks out about Auburn to him?

"It really feels like a family," Melendez said. "The fanbase, the team, being around the players and stuff, everything they tell me is everything the coaches tell me. It’s all actions over words. It’s all about business, it’s all about football and I love that."