Four-star cornerback Kayin Lee flips from Ohio State to Auburn

COLUMBUS — Ohio State is feeling the effects of coaching changes, the transfer portal and NIL on the recruiting trail.

The Buckeyes at one point had 22 pledges to their 2023 class and were knocking on the door for 23, but in recent weeks, the class has been purged.

Four-star Ellenwood (Ga) Cedar Grove cornerback Kayin Lee is the latest to leave the Ohio State class. He has flipped his commitment and signed his National Letter of Intent with Auburn.

Lee is the No. 30 rated cornerback and the No. 265 overall prospect according to On3. Those numbers are a little higher in the On3 Consensus, however, at No. 25 and No. 197, respectively.

Lee committed to Ohio State on June 27, just three days after his official visit to Columbus. He was once committed to Georgia, but decommitted and immediately perked up with the Buckeyes.

“They’re definitely one of my top choices,” Lee told On3. “That’s a place where I feel like I can go and play early and fulfill my dream of playing in the NFL. There’s a Georgia pipeline going up there. There are guys from Georgia that I can talk to.”

His former high school coach Miguel Patrick played a big part in landing his commitment to the Buckeyes. Patrick spent two years on staff as a defensive quality control coach but accepted a position at UAB as the defensive line coach.

Ohio State now is down to just two cornerbacks in its 2023 class. Jermaine Mathews Jr. and Calvin Simpson-Hunt make up the class for cornerback coach Tim Walton.

The early signing period for the 2023 cycle opens on Dec. 21 and ends Dec. 23.

Lee is the second cornerback to decommit from Ohio State in this cycle. Four-star cornerback Dijon Johnson decommitted from the program back in July.

The Buckeyes have had five decommitments this cycle, which is the most under fourth-year coach Ryan Day. Brock Glenn, Mark Fletcher, Ty Lockwood, Dijon Johnson and now Kayin Lee all have withdrawn their verbal pledges.