Javion Cohen to Auburn: "This commitment is very different"
Javion Cohen committed to South Carolina March 27, then on April 15, he decommitted from the Gamecocks and re-opened his recruitment.
The 2020 offensive lineman out of Phenix City (Ala.) Central added numerous offers as soon as he was back on the market, but the one he received April 19 was the one he was waiting on.
On the night of the 19th, Cohen won the Offensive Line MVP award at the Rivals 3 stripe camp presented by adidas, but earlier in the day, Auburn offered him on a visit in route to Atlanta.
That is a day he will remember.
"It was April 19 when I knew I was going to Auburn," said Cohen. "As soon as they offered me, I knew I was going there. I was waiting on that offer. I thought about it a little while, but I knew as soon as I had the offer that Auburn was where I was going.
"I called coach Gus Malzahn May 22 and told him. I wanted to wait until a big recruiting weekend at Auburn to make it official, so on Big Cat Weekend, I made it public.
"I remember when I got the offer. It was a great feeling and it was over for me then."
Like any prospect that decommits, there are going to be questions about Cohen, and how his commitment to Auburn is different from the one to South Carolina.
He gave his thoughts on that.
"This was a much more mature decision for me," said Cohen. "When I committed to South Carolina, I kind of got caught up in seeing other guys commit. I just didn't think about it enough first.
"This decision was much different. I had been to Auburn before the offer and I have been back quite a few times since the offer. I have had more time to think about it and it is totally different this time.
"I was thinking about locking up a spot, the attention and things like that with my first commitment. My commitment to Auburn is very different."
It is different enough that Cohen said he is completely done with recruiting. He does not plan to visit any other schools other than Auburn from here on out.
He knows Auburn is not only the right school for him, but for his family too.
"When I was committed to South Carolina, I was still thinking about Auburn and other schools, but it is different now," said Cohen. "I am only thinking about Auburn and it is the best fit for me and for my mom. I am close to home, we feel great about the staff and it is the right fit for me.
"Coach Malzahn can feel very good about my commitment. There is no reason for him to be worried. I am done with recruiting and I am 100% committed to Auburn. Coach Muschamp, coach Grimes, coach Burns and all the Auburn coaches can feel very comfortable with me."
Now Cohen will turn his attention to recruiting. He wants his teammate EJ Williams to join him on the Plains. Tate Johnson is one Cohen called his "brother" and he is a major target to join him on the offensive line. Desmond Tisdol, Cartavious Bigsby, Roydell Williams and others are on his list too.
According to Cohen, Auburn could be very close to making some noise in the SEC and players like the ones he is now recruiting could be key to that move.
"With South Carolina, it is more of a developmental program that you have to really trust in to go there, but with Auburn, it is a program that is just a few pieces away from taking over the SEC," said Cohen.
"If we get the right pieces, I feel Auburn will take over the SEC. That is the key for us now. We have to get the right pieces, get the right recruits and Auburn is going to do big things.
"I want to help with that."