Five schools standing out in battle for 4-star LB Riley Pettijohn

McKinney (Texas) four-star linebacker Riley Pettijohn announced his top six schools on Feb. 14. He is currently focusing on five of those programs: Florida State, Ohio State, Texas, Texas A&M and USC. 

This spring, Pettijohn will visit Ohio State on March 30, Texas on April 6 and Texas A&M in April. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound recruit has also locked in official visits to the Longhorns (June 14-16) and the Trojans (June 21-23), as well as the Aggies. It is currently a very close race to land Pettijohn, who is also planning to see the Seminoles in the coming weeks. 

Intel from Under Armour Next Camp Dallas

On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons spoke about the five schools with Pettijohn’s focus on The Inside Scoop football recruiting show. Pettijohn participated Under Armour Next Camp Dallas on Sunday, where Simmons caught up with Pettijohn.

“I think Ohio State, Texas A&M and Florida State round out the five that he’s looking at, discussing and talking to,” Simmons said — adding those three schools to USC and Texas. “He mentioned he’s probably going to take OVs to all five schools at some point this summer, then make a decision before his senior year.

“Now, he showed up in the Texas backpack. Read into that whatever you’d like to as fans watching this. I think there’s some correlation there that Texas is in a great spot. He liked the University of Texas. They have a new linebackers coach he’s connected with there in Austin. I like where Texas sits. But, he will take the process out; he will take some spring trips, summer OVs and then make that decision.”

Simmons said Pettijohn maintains open lines of communication with each school, but that the relationships at Texas appear as strong as any.

“He talked pretty openly about everyone today. He mentioned [James] Laurinaitis at Ohio State, he mentioned the new staff at Texas — obviously there were some coaching changes at the University of Texas. I think he’s pretty much talking openly to coaches at all five schools,” Simmons said. “There are even changes at USC on the defensive side of the ball. So I think there are some new relationships being established there, but I think it goes back to that Texas staff. Even the personnel grouping there behind the scenes, and of course Steve Sarkisian being very hands-on and involved has kept that Texas relationship building and the new ones now taking shape and forming.”