The Hurry-Up: Four-star 2026 OL Grant Wise Says Ohio State Has "A Standard of Success" and 5-star LB Riley Pettijohn Set to Make College Choice Saturday

By Garrick Hodge on July 5, 2024 at 5:34 pm
Grant Wise
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Four-star Florida offensive lineman Grant Wise came into Ohio State’s recruiting camp on June 6 intending to make a statement.

He did that and then some, as Wise impressed Justin Frye in individual workouts and competition drills and in turn picked up an offer from the Buckeyes’ offensive line coach following the camp.

“It was awesome,” Wise said after picking up the OSU offer. “They’re such a huge program and such a staple in college football. (Coach Frye) said my tape looks great and that I looked great at camp. He said he wants to continue to build a relationship with me and continue to watch me grow as a player.” 

Wise was impressed with Frye’s tutelage in the workout and said he enjoyed his coaching style. 

“He’s one of those coaches that will tell you what you need to hear and not what you want to hear. That’s great because it helps you develop.”

The 6-foot-3, 300-pound Wise is considered the No. 165 player and No. 11 interior offensive lineman in 2026. He has earned more than 30 Division I offers including Alabama, Arkansas, Boston College, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Louisville, Miami, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia. He currently plays tackle for his high school, but will likely play center at the next level.

Wise says he hopes to be at an OSU game sometime this fall, but is unsure of any specific visit plans as of yet.

“I just think they’re such a good program,” Wise said of OSU. “They’ve been great and they have a standard of success. They’re just one of the biggest teams when you think of college football as a whole.” 

Riley Pettijohn set for noon commitment on Saturday

As we mentioned in Monday’s Hurry-Up, Ohio State’s top remaining linebacker target in the 2025 class, five-star prospect Riley Pettijohn, has scheduled his commitment for noon on Saturday. 

While Texas has been the presumed leader for most of Pettijohn’s recruitment, the Longhorns are not expected to be the choice for the 6-foot-1, 215-pound prospect. The focus has shifted to Ohio State and USC for the majority of the week and with less than 24 hours to go before his announcement, the Buckeyes appear to be in the driver’s seat to land the talented linebacker. 

A lot can happen quickly to change public perception, as we saw with the Justin Hill recruitment on Wednesday, but for now, OSU has a great chance to add another terrific piece to its 2025 recruiting class. 

Should Pettijohn choose the Buckeyes, he’ll join Tarvos Alford and Eli Lee at linebacker, giving James Laurinaitis a terrific first class as a full-time assistant.

Zechariah Fort releases top 13

An Ohio State safety target in the 2026 class has started to narrow down his recruitment. 

Four-star Florida prospect Zechariah Fort released a top 13 on Thursday consisting of Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Nebraska, Washington, Tennessee, Florida, Miami, Michigan, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and UCLA.

Fort was offered by OSU in February of 2023 and is considered the No. 84 prospect and No. 7 safety in the 2026 class per 247Sports’ composite rankings. He figures to be one of the Buckeyes’ top targets for the 2026 cycle at safety.

Damien Shanklin commits to LSU, Dakorien Moore chooses Oregon, Andrew Stargel picks UCF

Three prospects with Ohio State offers will play their collegiate football elsewhere. 

Four-star Indiana defensive end Damien Shanklin committed to LSU on Friday over the Buckeyes and Crimson Tide in a move that’s been expected for about a month or so. OSU has five defensive linemen committed for the 2025 cycle and hopes to keep adding to that number.

Five-star wide receiver Dakorien Moore, the No. 1 wide receiver in the 2025 class, set off some Fourth of July fireworks Thursday by committing to Oregon over OSU, LSU and Texas. Unfortunately for the Texas product, his commitment was accidentally leaked about an hour before he announced his decision, presumably because ESPN mixed up the announcement time. Call it a premature firecracker, but either way, now Big Ten rival Oregon seems to be cooking with gas for its 2025 class. 

Finally, three-star center Andrew Stargel committed to UCF. The Buckeyes had an interest in Stargel in May and extended the Georgia product an offer, but after a few visits, they eventually pivoted to in-state product Jake Cook instead.

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