4-star CB Kayin Lee flips to Auburn from Ohio State

Ellenwood (Ga.) Cedar Grove four-star cornerback Kayin Lee committed to Ohio State on June 27. However, Auburn never went away.

Lee made multiple visits to the Tigers, including an official on the weekend of Dec. 3. Less than three weeks later, the 5-foot-10.5, 175-pound defensive back flipped to Auburn on National Signing Day.

“I’m close to home,” Lee told On3. “I can play very early and I’m playing SEC football, which I feel like is the most competitive conference.”

The Georgia native is joining a new-look Auburn, as Hugh Freeze was hired as the Tigers’ head coach this offseason. But Freeze kept someone from the Bryan Harsin era who played a key role in landing Lee.

That person was secondary coach Zac Etheridge. According to Lee, Etheridge staying at Auburn was a “big” part of his decision.

Etheridge is not the only Tigers coach Lee is impressed with, however. He believes Freeze will lead Auburn to great heights in the coming years.

“He was just after me from the get-go, from the first day we met,” said Lee, the No. 204 overall prospect and No. 26 cornerback in the 2023 On3 Consensus. “He was talking to me so much. He was talking to me more than the actual players that he hasn’t even met yet on the team, trying to get me to come.”

Lee impressed by Auburn’s home environment, potential for success

Lee has seen games at some of the top environments in college football. Two of them were at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

“Those were the loudest two games I’ve ever been to,” Lee, who attended Auburn’s Sept. 17 game against Penn State, said. “It’s a crazy atmosphere around there. The fans show support.”

According to the four-star, coming to a final decision is a “stress reliever.” Now, Lee can focus on his goals on The Plains.

One of them is reaching title games. He believes that he, and the Tigers’ 2023 recruiting class, can do that.

“We are coming in to change some things,” Lee said. “Just run stuff from the get-go and be the players that we are. It’ll all just happen and build into one goal and that’s to win the natty and the SEC championship.”