Saturday was the first trip to Auburn for Gabriel Osenda.

The Rivals250 offensive lineman out of Chattanooga, Tenn., was in town for the Cal game, alongside his teammate and Auburn running back target Shekai Mills-Knight. Overall, Osenda enjoyed his time on the Plains and it left a good first impression.

"I really liked the environment here, the energy," Osenda said. "It was just amazing, the crowd never gave up on cheering and they just kept supporting."

Auburn didn't win the game, but the visit was beneficial for Osenda, as it gave him an opportunity to meet with offensive line coach Jake Thornton and head coach Hugh Freeze.

"He’s a good guy, I could tell he’s genuine when I spoke with him," Osenda said of Thornton. "You always like to see that in a coach. Today was really the first day that I’ve communicated that much with him...They were just saying that they’re building something special here and that we’re gonna see that."

Following a top 10 class last year, Freeze and his staff are on pace for a top five class in 2025, with the No. 1 class currently for 2026. Where do the Tigers sit right now for Osenda?

"Right now, we haven’t really communicated that much, but they’re a good school," Osenda said. "I would love to be here someday, maybe, but we’ll see how that all checks out."

Osenda, 6-foot-8 and 310 pounds, hears the most from Florida, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Syracuse and Tennessee. However, Auburn is a place that he's interested in learning more about in the future.

"Probably a junior day so I can see more of what the school has to offer as well," Osenda said.