Episcopal (Alexandria, Va.) four-star safety Patrice Rene has decommitted from Rutgers, he revealed via Twitter on Tuesday morning.

The 6-2, 195-pound senior originally chose Rutgers in large part due to a long-standing relationship with former head coach Kyle Flood, who was fired in November, following a 4-8 season and various off-the-field issues at the school, creating an opportunity for other teams to get back in the mix.

However, one thing the Scarlet Knights were thought to have going for them is a preexisting relationship between Rene and new head coach Chris Ash, who recruited Rene during Ash's time as co-defensive coordinator for Ohio State.

In fact, Ohio State finished second to Rutgers in the race for Rene's commitment when he originally picked the Scarlet Knights.

And although Rene has been talking to schools, he had remained committed to Rutgers, giving fans hope that he could end up with the team on signing day.

However, it appears Rene's most recent official visit to UNC was the straw that broke the camel's back.

The Scarlet Knights will still push to get Rene on campus for the final official visit weekend (beginning Jan. 29), enabling them the last crack at Rene.

However, it has become less likely that they will land the Canadian-born defensive secondary standout.

Rene is the ninth player to decommit from Rutgers' recruiting class of 2016. He follows Nassau (Garden City, N.Y.) offensive tackle Malcolm Pridgeon (who was committed for less than a day); Venice (Fla.) defensive tackle Jarrod Hewitt; Poly Prep (Brooklyn, N.Y.) linebacker Elias Reynolds; West Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.) defensive tackle Tymir Oliver; Grand Street (Brooklyn, N.Y.) wide receiver Ahmed Bah; South Brunswick (Monmouth Junction, N.J.) safety Phil Campbell; Poly Prep (Brooklyn, N.Y.) offensive tackle Justin Morgan; and Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.) quarterback Anthony Russo.

Todderick Hunt may be reached at thunt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TodderickHunt. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook