Yeldon taking official to UA

Daphne (Ala.) five-star running back and current Auburn commit T.J. Yeldon will officially visit Alabama this weekend, per Daphne High School receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Mike Vickery.

"He's going, as far as the parents going, I have no idea," Vickery said. "I'm sure there is pressure coming from both sides, it wouldn't surprise me if plans change. He's just going to have a good time. He promised that he would come up there for an official and I think he's holding true to that."

Ryan Anderson, the four-star Alabama commit and teammate of Yeldon's, will also visit Alabama this weekend.

Yeldon, who is one of six U.S. Army Player of the Year finalists, has been committed to Auburn since June, but has received steady interest from Alabama this fall.

Head coach Nick Saban made an in-home visit with Yeldon and his parents on Tuesday afternoon. Vickery said the official visit was not a result of the visit from Saban.

"It had been planned for a couple of weeks, it was not a result of the in-home visit," Vickery said.

Due to the amount of attention Yeldon has received throughout his recruiting process, and the dynamics of an Auburn commit visiting Alabama, Vickery said he was hoping to keep news of the trip quiet to protect Yeldon from criticism that was sure to follow.

"This has been planned. It wasn't intentionally hushed, T.J. didn't tell us to do that, I just felt like for his sake because I knew what was going to happen when people found out," said Vickery.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound back that recently earned five-star status in Rivals' new 2012 prospect rankings will begin practice for the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic on Monday. At the beginning of January, Yeldon will head to San Antonio, Texas to begin practice leading up to the U.S. Army All-American game.

"This was his last chance to really go do something," said Vickery. "He's enrolling in his classes at Auburn and will be there the first day he can be there after the Army game as far as I know.

"I think people are reading more into it than there is. He's going up there to have a good time and enjoy the last couple of weeks of being a recruit. I know that's all it is."

Yeldon officially visited Auburn last Saturday for the Iron Bowl.