Justin Ahrens to Ohio State: Buckeyes Land 3-Star SF Prospect

Class of 2018 small forward Justin Ahrens announced via Twitter that he has committed to Ohio State on Saturday:

The 3-star prospect is the fourth-rated recruit out of his home state of Ohio and the 33rd-best small forward in the nation, per 247Sports' composite rankings.  

Per 247Sports, Ahrens' only other offer came from Stony Brook. 

His decision to commit to Ohio State came just four days after he received an offer while on an unofficial visit to the school, according to Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch. 

Ahrens spoke to Jardy about what head coach Thad Matta told him:

"

Coach Matta was saying today that the past year or two have been a little down and said he’s been getting away from his normal tactics, which are finding Ohio guys and getting guys who want to play for the name on the front and not the back. That would be a great feeling, to rep my state. ... He told me why he thinks I’d fit in there. He’s not recruiting me to be a 10th, 11th or 12th man, he thinks I can make an instant impact on the team.

"

The 6'5", 181-pound small forward out of Versailles High School could provide a nice wing presence in the Ohio State frontcourt with his ability to shoot from deep. 

It will be a welcome addition to a Buckeyes team that shot 34.9 percent from three-point range in 18 conference games last season, which ranked seventh in the Big Ten. 

But Ahrens has also shown early in his high school career that he isn't afraid to attack the rim:

For an Ohio State team that missed the NCAA tournament last year for the first time since 2008, Matta realizes that something needs to change in order for the Buckeyes to become a threat in the Big Ten once again. 

Ahrens is the third recruit out of the class of 2018 to commit to Ohio State. The program has already secured 4-star small forward Darius Bazley and 3-star shooting guard Dane Goodwin, per 247Sports.

While those players won't wear scarlet and gray until 2018, Ohio State fans are already getting a good idea of what the future entails.

Stats courtesy of Sports-Reference.com.