Justin Ahrens opens up on decision to decommit from Ohio State
Justin Ahrens made the decision to commit to Ohio State very early in the process, joiing Darius Bazley and Dane Goodwin to give the Buckeyes a strong start to the 2018 class. When news of Thad Matta's dismissal came out earlier this week, Ahrens decided to do what Bazley did a month ago and back out on his commitment to Ohio State.
Rivals.com caught up with Ahrens to get an update on why he decided to decommit, whether Ohio State is still an option and what schools are now involved in his recruitment.
IN HIS OWN WORDS
“It was pretty much just the coaching change that led me to open it up. I want to build a relationship with the new coaches. It completely caught me off guard.
“I’ve got six new offers from Stony Brook, Oakland, Duquesne, Texas A&M, Dayton and Northern Kentucky. UNLV, Florida, Stanford, Texas, Xavier, Purdue, Butler and NC State have reached out too.
“I plan on waiting it out and just seeing my options through and building relationships. Ohio State is still an option for me.
“Part of me committing to Ohio State was growing wanting to play there, but I also felt like I fit in well with the coaches there. We had a good relationship and it felt like home. I’m going to wait it out, but that could still be an option.”
RIVALS' REACTION
If Chris Holtman, who agreed to become the head coach of the Buckeyes on Friday morning, wants Ahrens to be a part of his program, he’ll have a great shot at getting the Rivals150 prospect back on board. Butler had already started recruiting him after he decommitted this week. Otherwise, his recruitment will largely depend on how he plays next month and which schools decide to get involved with him.