Austin Siereveld commits to Ohio State, details “stressful” decision to SGR

Austin Siereveld’s recruitment to Ohio State truly only lasted about six months, though it certainly felt like much longer for the Lakota East (Ohio) offensive lineman.

But the Class of 2023 standout has put the anxiety and worry of the arduous process to bed: Sierveld has committed to the Buckeyes.

Siereveld told Scarlet and Gray Report of his intention to commit to the Buckeyes shortly before he informed the Ohio State, Notre Dame and Alabama coaching staffs of his decision last Wednesday.

Even though he had yet to bring his recruitment to an end by committing to the Buckeyes and letting the other staffs know his choice, it was easy to feel the relief in Siereveld’s voice that he was no longer feeling the weight of the pressure-packed decision on his shoulders.

“It feels amazing. It was really stressful and hard for me to not jump on [the Ohio State offer] right away,” said Siereveld, who was offered by the Buckeyes on Oct. 30. “But I knew the best decision for me was to wait and explore all my options. But at the end of the day, it was just the right decision for me even though I didn’t jump on it at first.

“Ohio State, with what they can do for me after football, with Real Life Wednesdays, being comfortable in that city and things like that [are what made the difference].”

The Buckeyes offered the four-star Cincinnati area prospect hours before kickoff of their game against Penn State last year. Most believed that Siereveld would lock in a commitment to Ohio State within a couple months, if not weeks, and instantly look forward to a career with the program he had childhood dreams of playing for.

Instead, Siereveld took a step back to evaluate the process more deliberately. And then he took another step back and another. He was also strongly considering Alabama, Cincinnati, Iowa and Michigan during the process, but his recruitment quickly shaped up as an Ohio State vs. Notre Dame battle.

Siereveld’s commitment represents a big in-state win for Ohio State over the Fighting Irish as the Buckeyes protected their borders by landing the 6-foot-5, 315-pounder – who ranks as the No. 9 offensive guard in the country and No. 5 overall in the state of Ohio.

“It was really a tough decision between the two. They were pretty much hand-in-hand,” Siereveld said. “It just came down to I felt more at home at Ohio State, and I felt like I fit better at Ohio State than at Notre Dame. Talking to my family about it, they all agree with me. That’s pretty much it.

“It really helps being the Ohio guy and going up there and everyone knows you’re from Ohio and you have a shot at playing at Ohio State, and now it’s coming true. I just can’t wait to get back up there.”

Siereveld took two visits apiece to Columbus and Notre Dame this spring, visiting each for a spring practice and again for each team’s spring game. Siereveld long had the preference to wrap up his recruitment before the summer hit. So it was crunch time in mid-April during a second spring visit to South Bend which followed his second to Columbus.

What resulted from those final visits is not another ho-hum in-state recruiting win for the Buckeyes. There were real concerns inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center that Siereveld would bypass Ohio State in favor of the Irish.

Though the staff was doing so in a non-overbearing fashion and not pressuring Siereveld during his April 15 visit, the Buckeyes pushed for a commitment that weekend hoping that they would not have to sweat out another Notre Dame visit.

“I wasn’t really pressured even when they were saying they really wanted me [to commit],” Siereveld said. “I didn’t really feel pressured into it because they all understand that it’s my decision and not anyone else’s.”

Ohio State did have to power through that final trip, though, as Siereveld got one last look to compare the two programs side by side and come away with a confident decision. And now that he’s in the fold, he can focus on the vision that offensive line coach Justin Frye and head coach Ryan Day have for him to be an offensive guard – either on the left or right side as his career progresses.

“I’m pumped up about it,” Siereveld said. “That’s like all they talked to me about — both of them [Frye and Day] really wanna coach me. And both wanna get the most out of me individually and as a football player.”

Siereveld’s pledge gives Ohio State its 10th commitment in the 2023 class in what is trending toward becoming Day’s fourth top-five recruiting class in his four seasons as Ohio State’s coach.