4-star DL Valdin Sone say Auburn is 'a top priority' after official visit
by:
Cole Pinkston•about 2 hours•
ColePinkston
Valdin Sone (Photo: Cole Pinkston/Auburn Live)
AUBURN –
Valdin Sone, a four-star defensive lineman originally from Sweden, took his official visit to Auburn over the weekend. He was a late addition to the official visitors list, but he’s glad he scheduled it.
“It was amazing,” Sone said. “Me and Coach Vontrell had a great talk yesterday. I see Auburn as a top priority. I’d get to see the field early. They play true freshmen. Coming in here and knowing that they play true freshmen makes the OV even better.”
Sone is the No. 138 overall player in the class of 2026, the No. 14 defensive lineman, and the No. 3 player in the state of Virginia according to the On3 Industry Ranking.
Connection with King-Williams
Sone was impressed with defensive line coach Vontrell King-Williams.
“He’s a great guy, I love his vibe,” Sone said. “He’s a coach I could play for, a coach I want to play for. He’s a great guy, he’s young, but he’s determined. He has a goal. I respect that and I see that.
“His message to me is that he wants to develop me. He sees the potential in me. He thinks I’m a guy who can see the field early. I believe that too. Me and him would get that relationship to make it work.”
What were the highlights of the visit?
“The meeting with Coach Vontrell, the photoshoot, and the food, the food here is amazing,” Sone said. “And, the family, the culture here is amazing. I love Coach Freeze, had a great chat with him, too. The Auburn family is real. The War Eagle, it’s real.”
The OV dinner stood out as well.
“I’d probably say dinner last night, the salmon was good,” he said. “We had steak, salmon, chicken parm, it was good.”
What is next?
Sone has several official visits left on the schedule.
“I’ve got Georgia coming up, Florida, Texas, and Oklahoma, and Nebraska, too,” he said.
He wants to come to a decision soon after those visits.
“July, I want to make my decision in early July,” he said.
What is the main priority in his future school?
“I have to see the field,” he said. “I want to be a guy who can come in and dominate. Whichever school is going to see that in me, that’s where I want to go.
“I feel like here, they have a record that says they will play true freshmen. They have back-to-back true freshmen All-Americans on the defensive line. What Coach Vontrell has been telling me, they have the proof that they will play freshmen if you’re ready. I feel like coming here was a genuine connection. What he said was real and where I want to go, I want to see the field early. I feel like Auburn is a place I can see the field early.”
Where does Auburn stand after this visit?
“Oh, Auburn is a top priority,” he said. “They see me as a top priority, I see them as a top priority. So, we keep that relationship mutual.”