On the same day Urban Meyer announced he will retire from coaching at Ohio State, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fl.) safety Lejond Cavazos decommited from the program.
He posted a note to Twitter, which in-part read “Playing for Coach Meyer has always been a dream of mine that I always wanted to fulfill. I wish him nothing but the best and everlasting success.”
The four-star junior will reopen his recruitment. He has offers from 22 schools, according to 247 Sports, which ranks him as the No. 9 safety in the country and No. 30 player in Florida.
As the Buckeyes miss out on this class of 2020 star, they have to wonder if Meyer’s exit will impact the decision of other recruits.
Please respect my decision… pic.twitter.com/xU3YyIcqkE
— Lejond Cavazos (@lejondaryy) December 4, 2018
On Tuesday morning, Ohio State announced Meyer will retire from coaching at the program following the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day, marking the end of an era for the Buckeyes.
The team went 82-9 in seven years under Meyer and won the 2014 national championship.
This season, however, got off to a rocky start when former wide receivers coach Zach Smith was accused of domestic abuse and subsequently fired. It put Meyer in the middle of an investigation regarding his knowledge of the events.
Despite that, the team finished 12-1 and won the Big 10.
Now, as the Buckeyes prepares for the Rose Bowl, they’ll have to keep one eye toward the future.
It’s possible Cavazos won’t be the only player to decommit from the program now that Meyer has announced his impending departure.