Better Know A Buckeye is our look at every member of Ohio State’s 2026 recruiting class and how they became Buckeyes as they prepare to begin their OSU careers this fall.
Growing up just up the road from Ohio State in Lewis Center, CJ Sanna was the first linebacker to commit to the Buckeyes in the cycle.
CJ Sanna
- Size: 6-2/230
- Position: LB
- School: Olentangy (Lewis Center, Ohio)
- 247 Sports Composite: ★★★★
- Composite Rank: #264 (#15 LB)
Background
Sanna's recruitment was quite fast, in the grand scheme of things. Once he earned an offer from Ohio State in January 2025, the lifelong Buckeye fan knew that he wanted to play his college football close to home.
“It was really surreal,” Sanna told Eleven Warriors last May. “When I got it, my heart dropped. (Ohio State linebackers coach James) Laurinaitis came into the school to talk to me, and I thought it was just another recruiting visit. When he told me he wanted me to be a Buckeye, I was really excited.
“I grew up an Ohio State fan, as you can imagine,” Sanna said, explaining why he wanted to commit to OSU. “They’re 15 minutes away from my backyard. I grew up watching them with the family and after getting to know coach Laurinaitis and (defensive coordinator Matt) Patricia, I had to jump on the opportunity. There’s no place I’d rather be. Playing at the highest level and being challenged by the best players in America, Ohio State has a high standard for everyone there. Having to compete to earn your spot really means a lot to me.”
Sanna committed to OSU on April 4, 2025, picking the Buckeyes out of more than two dozen offers that included Indiana, Iowa, Miami, Michigan State, Oklahoma and Wisconsin, among others.
In his sophomore season, his first year on varsity, Sanna netted 20 tackles (two for loss) and a sack. He broke out after moving from defensive end to linebacker as a junior, recording 97 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, seven sacks and a fumble recovery. From there, his recruitment blew up.
As a senior, Sanna totaled 79 tackles (six for loss), one sack, a pass breakup and one interception in his final high school season.
Buckeye LB commit CJ Sanna (1) rushes the passer and forces incompletion on 4th down. pic.twitter.com/vT881RHzbP
— Bill Kurelic (@Bill_Kurelic) September 5, 2025
Off the football field, Sanna won the Ohio state title in the discus with a throw of 194-11 in the spring of 2025 and was named to the All-Metro team for boys track and field in both 2024 and 2025.
Scouting Report
In the middle of the Olentangy defense, Sanna showcased his football IQ, awareness, and instincts. With his ability to run downhill, he excels as a QB spy and run stopper. He uses his eyes and elusiveness to avoid opposing blockers and make plays on the ball.
Sanna made a habit of trucking opposing ballcarriers over with his strength and size in high school, but he must wrap them up more consistently as he goes against bigger and stronger players at the collegiate level.
With just two years of full-time linebacker play under his belt, Sanna has shown the ability to be a dominant playmaker in the middle of the defense while having plenty of room to learn and grow at Ohio State.
Depth Chart Outlook
Just like he was in the latter two years at Olentangy, Sanna is projected to be a Mike linebacker for Ohio State. With that, his first season as a Buckeye will certainly be a developmental one. Payton Pierce will lead the depth chart at Mike linebacker for Ohio State in 2026, while Riley Pettijohn, fellow freshman Cincere Johnson and rising sophomore Eli Lee are among the other Buckeyes who will likely be ahead of him on this year’s depth chart.
Sanna must develop well to become a future starter in the loaded linebacker room that James Laurinaitis has built, but playing for one of the best linebacker coaches in the country will give him a chance to maximize his potential and become a difference-maker for the Silver Bullets.
Player Comparison: Tommy Eichenberg
Better Know A Buckeye
After redshirting his first season as a Buckeye in 2019, Eichenberg received very minimal playing time in his second season in Columbus, totaling just two tackles. But he started to make a name for himself in his third year at Ohio State and became a dominant linebacker as a redshirt junior in 2022.
In his fourth season with the Buckeyes, Eichenberg notched 120 tackles (12 for loss), 2.5 sacks, an interception and three pass breakups. The 6-2, 235-pounder totaled 268 tackles (21 for loss), 2.5 sacks, two interceptions (one pick-six), five pass breakups, a forced fumble and one fumble recovery in his final three seasons at OSU. He was a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft following his fifth season with the Buckeyes.
Sanna, like Eichenberg, is an in-state linebacker prospect who was a four-star recruit. Also like Eichenberg, Sanna will likely need multiple years of development before he plays a major role for the Buckeyes. But if Sanna can continue to develop into a do-it-all middle linebacker after switching to the position before his junior season in high school, the 6-2, 230-pounder could follow a similar path as Eichenberg to eventually starring in the middle of Ohio State’s defense.
