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Elite 4-star LB Riley Pettijohn takes Ohio State official visit

hunterby: Hunter Shelton06/02/24HunterShelton_

McKinney (Texas) four-star linebacker Riley Pettijohn trimmed his list of top schools down to four on Saturday, naming Ohio State, Texas, Texas A&M and USC as his finalists.

Official visits to each program will be taken this month, and that began with his latest trip to Ohio State this weekend. The Buckeyes are looking to lure the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder away from the Lone Star State, and Pettijohn was around some of the top prospects in the nation in Columbus.

LBs coach James Laurinaitis, safeties coach Tim Walton and the entire OSU staff are doing what they can to make Pettijohn feel like a priority as they search for a third linebacker pledge in the 2025 cycle. Pettijohn previously visited at the end of March, and he and his family were impressed by what the Big Ten powerhouse has to offer.

“The atmosphere in Columbus was pretty exciting and we enjoyed spending time getting to know the coaches and getting a feel for the program as a whole,” Pettijohn’s father Duke previously told On3. “I think what excited Riley most about Ohio State is the competitive business-like approach the players have and the tradition of excellence there.”

Pettijohn will head to USC next weekend, then round out his June with in-state officials to Texas (June 14) and A&M (June 21). The Longhorns are currently trending for his commitment, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM).

“Texas has been building momentum here all spring. They are high on (Pettijohn) and he is high on them. It seems like only a matter of time. Texas looks like it will hard to beat,” On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons said last month.

Pettijohn is the No. 33 overall prospect and No. 2 LB in the 2025 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 9 player in Texas.

Ohio State Buckeyes Class Breakdown

In total, the Buckeyes have 12 commitments already on the board, six of whom rank among the top 100 nationally and 10 who check in as blue-chip (four- and five-star) recruits.

Early in the 2025 cycle, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and his staff have gotten busy. Of OSU’s 12 commitments, eight are on that side of the ball and four are in the secondary. Ohio State holds commitments from the nation’s top two cornerback recruits — Five-Star Plus+ CB Na’eem Offord and Five-Star Plus+ corner Devin Sanchez. Their class also includes top-75 EDGE Zahir Mathis, four-star EDGE London Merritt, four-star linebacker Tarvos Alford, four-star cornerback DeShawn Stewart, in-state standout linebacker Eli Lee and fast-rising Cleveland-area safety Cody Haddad.

On the offensive side, OSU has already locked up its quarterback in the class with elite passer Tavien St. Clair, who ranks No. 3 nationally at the position in the On3 Industry Ranking. He’s joined by Toledo (Ohio) Whitmer four-star offensive tackle Carter Lowe, and four-star wide receiver De’zie Jones.

The Buckeyes picked up Washington (Okla.) four-star tight end Nate Roberts just ahead of kickoff for its 2024 spring game on April 13.