Ohio State has added a third linebacker to its 2025 recruiting class.
Riley Pettijohn, a five-star linebacker, announced his commitment to Ohio State on Saturday, choosing the Buckeyes over programs such as Southern California, Texas and Texas A&M.
Pettijohn joins four-stars Tarvos Alford and Eli Lee as committed linebackers in Ohio State’s 2025 class.
Pettijohn, standing at nearly 6-foot-2 and 215-pound out of McKinney, Texas, is ranked as the No. 31 player and the fourth-ranked linebacker in the country per 247Sports’ composite rankings.
“When speaking to Ohio State, I mean, I know that they just love his talent, but they also love his personality,” McKinney football coach Nate Leonard said. “Like what he brings to the table, all those leadership qualities.”
Ohio State hosted Pettijohn for an official visit May 31-June 2 after extending an offer in September.
Pettijohn is Ohio State’s highest-ranked linebacker commitment since five-star C.J. Hicks chose and signed with the Buckeyes in 2022.
Ohio State has been active in Texas in 2025 having already secured a commitment from five-star cornerback Devin Sanchez out of Houston.
Pettijohn is Ohio State’s Xth defensive commitment in the class and joins Sanchez, Alford, Lee, safety Faheem Delane, cornerback Na’eem Offord, defensive end Zion Grady, defensive lineman Maxwell Roy, defensive end Zahir Mathis, defensive lineman Trajen Odom, defensive lineman London Merritt, safety DeShawn Stewart and safety Cody Haddad.
Riley Pettijohn commitment analysis: What it means for Ohio State
Ohio State is seemingly done with its linebacker class in 2025.
Since 2020, the Buckeyes have averaged two linebackers per recruiting class. But the room is expected to be short of experience heading into 2025 with Hicks, Sonny Styles and Gabe Powers – each of whom would be eligible for the NFL draft – along with Arvell Reese, Garrett Stover and Payton Pierce.
An inside linebacker at McKinney, Pettijohn logged 120 tackles, 10 tackles-for-loss and three sacks in 2023, per 247Sports. And with the limited experience of James Laurinaitis’ linebacker room, Pettijohn could be on the fast track for playing time immediately upon arrival.
And with that fast track, Leonard said, could bring an opportunity for early leadership like Leonard has seen since taking the football coaching job at McKinney in February.
“Obviously the assistant coaches are coaching really, really had. But so is Riley,” Leonard said. “Riley’s coaching while on the field… It’s not like he just gets reps with the ones and then grabs water and zones out until his group’s back up. I mean, he drives reps with the ones and he stands behind the twos and he stands behind the threes and he stands behind the fours, and he’s constantly coaching those guys, not just linebackers… He is truly a commander of the defense in practice.”
Pettijohn also continues a trend of successful Ohio State defensive recruiting. He is the fifth top-50 defensive player the Buckeyes have secured in 2025 along with Sanchez, Offord, Delane and Alford.
In Pettijohn, Ohio State has another piece to cement its place as the No. 1 2025 recruiting class in the country.
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Source link : https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/college/football/2024/07/06/riley-pettijohn-commits-to-ohio-state-james-laurinaitis-osu-football-recruiting-2025/73922306007/
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Publish date : 2024-07-06 12:15:36
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