James Laurinaitis has landed his top remaining target.
Five-star Texas linebacker Riley Pettijohn committed to Ohio State on Saturday over USC, Texas and Texas A&M, giving the Buckeyes a monster win on the recruiting trail.
The Pettijohn File
- Class: 2025
- Size: 6-1/215
- Pos: Linebacker
- School: McKinney (McKinney, Texas)
- Composite Rating: ★★★★★
- Composite Rank: #31 (#4 LB)
Pettijohn took his official visit to Ohio State on May 31 and received a full developmental plan from Laurinaitis, Jim Knowles and the rest of the Buckeyes' coaching staff. Ohio State had to weather the storm, including a furious pursuit from Texas A&M and USC during the final few weeks of Pettijohn's recruitment. But with Pettijohn now in the fold, Laurinaitis has a class enviable by many in his first recruiting cycle as a full-time assistant coach.
The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Pettijohn is the 23rd commit for Ohio State's 2025 class and the third and final linebacker. He'll suit up in the scarlet and gray alongside Tarvos Alford and Eli Lee as the Buckeyes' linebacker commits for the current cycle.
Pettijohn picked up his offer from Ohio State in September of 2023 and took several visits to campus. He racked up more than 30 Division I offers throughout his recruitment. Pettijohn is the second recruit from Texas to give his verbal to the Buckeyes in the 2025 cycle, joining five-star cornerback Devin Sanchez.
| Pos | Name | Rating | Rank | Size | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB | DEVIN SANCHEZ | ★★★★★ | #5 NATL | #1 CB | 6-2 | 170 | North Shore (Houston, Texas) |
| CB | NA'EEM OFFORD | ★★★★★ | #6 NATL | #2 CB | 6-1 | 185 | Parker (Birmingham, Alabama) |
| QB | TAVIEN ST. CLAIR | ★★★★★ | #10 NATL | #3 QB | 6-4 | 210 | Bellefontaine (Bellefontaine, Ohio) |
| LB | RILEY PETTIJOHN | ★★★★★ | #31 NATL | #4 LB | 6-1 | 215 | McKinney (McKinney, Texas) |
| S | FAHEEM DELANE | ★★★★ | #35 NATL | #2 S | 6-2 | 195 | Good Counsel (Olney, Maryland) |
| WR | QUINCY PORTER | ★★★★ | #47 NATL | #7 WR | 6-3 | 190 | Bergen Catholic (Oradell, New Jersey) |
| LB | TARVOS ALFORD | ★★★★ | #48 NATL | #5 LB | 6-2 | 210 | Vero Beach (Vero Beach, Florida) |
| OT | CARTER LOWE | ★★★★ | #51 NATL | #6 OT | 6-5 | 290 | Whitmer (Toledo, Ohio) |
| DE | ZAHIR MATHIS | ★★★★ | #62 NATL | #6 Edge | 6-6 | 225 | Imhotep Institute (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
| DE | ZION GRADY | ★★★★ | #71 NATL | #7 Edge | 6-4 | 235 | Enterprise (Enterprise, Alabama) |
| RB | BO JACKSON | ★★★★ | #79 NATL | #4 RB | 6-0 | 205 | Villa Angela-St. Joseph (Cleveland, Ohio) |
| DE | LONDON MERRITT | ★★★★ | #118 NATL | #14 DL | 6-2 | 250 | IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida) |
| TE | NATE ROBERTS | ★★★★ | #138 NATL | #6 TE | 6-4 | 235 | Washington (Washington, Oklahoma) |
| DT | MAXWELL ROY | ★★★★ | #229 NATL | #26 DL | 6-3 | 270 | St. Joseph's Prep School (Philadelphia, PA) |
| S | DESHAWN STEWART | ★★★★ | #245 NATL | #22 S | 6-2 | 185 | DePaul Catholic (Wayne, New Jersey) |
| DT | TRAJEN ODOM | ★★★★ | #283 NATL | #31 DL | 6-4 | 285 | Weddington (Matthews, North Carolina) |
| WR | DE'ZIE JONES | ★★★★ | #291 NATL | #39 WR | 6-0 | 180 | DePaul Catholic (Wayne, New Jersey) |
| S | CODY HADDAD | ★★★★ | #380 NATL | #20 ATH | 6-1 | 175 | St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio) |
| LB | ELI LEE | ★★★★ | #382 NATL | #41 LB | 6-3 | 230 | Archbishop Hoban (Akron, Ohio) |
| RB | ISAIAH WEST | ★★★ | #532 NATL | #45 RB | 5-11 | 208 | St. Joseph's Prep School (Philadelphia, PA) |
| WR | BODPEGN MILLER | ★★★ | #582 NATL | #90 WR | 6-4 | 180 | Ontario (Mansfield, OH) |
| TE | BRODY LENNON | ★★★ | #611 NATL | #32 TE | 6-4 | 220 | Gates Mills (Gates Mills, OH) |
| OL | JAKE COOK | ★★★ | #628 NATL | #40 IOL | 6-5 | 295 | Westerville North (Westerville, OH) |
| Prospect Rating Data: 247Sports Composite | |||||
Pettijohn gives Ohio State star potential at linebacker
Per 247Sports' composite rankings, Pettijohn is the No. 31 overall prospect and No. 4 linebacker in the 2025 class. He's the highest-rated linebacker recruit Ohio State has landed since C.J. Hicks in the 2022 cycle, who finished with a composite ranking of No. 7 overall and the No. 1 linebacker.
Pettijohn had a massive junior season for McKinney High School (McKinney, Texas) with 120 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, three sacks, five pass breakups and one interception. As a sophomore, he racked up 42 tackles, five tackles for loss, three sacks and five quarterback hurries.
Pettijohn has a loaded skillset that provides him with the potential to be the next great Ohio State linebacker, which includes athleticism, top-tier instincts and closing speed. He's shown a great ability to get around blocks and into opponents' backfield on a consistent basis.
At McKinney High School, Pettijohn lined up as both an outside linebacker and a middle linebacker and had the range to perform both roles well. In coverage, Pettijohn had no issues dropping into a zone or lining up against opposing tight ends and running backs. He was also a contributor on the kickoff team and could see playing time on special teams in his first year on campus.
Pettijohn is also a successful track and field athlete, as he competes in the long jump and 100-meter dash. His profile is advanced enough to where it wouldn't be surprising to see him compete to crack the two-deep in his first year in Columbus, but given Ohio State's current linebacker situation, there's a chance he may have to wait until at least his sophomore year before he sees meaningful snaps consistently.
Riley is the son of Duke Pettijohn, who was a defensive end for Syracuse from 1997-2000 and was a two-time All-Big East selection in his collegiate career.
