Ohio State added another coveted prospect to its top-ranked recruiting class on Saturday when five-star linebacker Riley Pettijohn committed to the Buckeyes live on 247Sports. Pettijohn chose Ohio State over Texas, Texas A&M and USC to give the Buckeyes yet another big win on the trail.
Pettijohn is entering his senior year at McKinney High School in McKinney, Texas. In addition to starring on the football field for McKinney, Pettijohn has excelled in track, posting a 10.7 second 100-meter dash time as a junior. That speed translates well to the football field, where he posted 125 tackles in 2023.
He also comes from a strong football pedigree. His father, Duke Pettijohn, starred on the defensive line for Syracuse from 1997-2000. Riley Pettijohn is considered the nation's No. 5 linebacker prospect by 247Sports and is ranked the No. 10 overall prospect from the state of Texas.
"Athletic volume tackler who can fit multiple off-ball linebacker roles in varying schemes," wrote 247Sports scouting analyst Gabe Brooks in an evaluation of Pettijohn. "Well-developed build with a stout, athletic base. Early on, looked like a candidate to ultimately play off the edge, but now clearly belongs as a traditional linebacker who exhibits broad pursuit range with excellent verified athleticism to bolster his long-term projection."
Pettijohn is Ohio State's 23rd commitment in the 2025 class and the 10th who is ranked inside the top-100 of the Top247 Rankings. His pledge softens the blow after the Buckeyes struck out on another front-seven prospect, four-star linebacker Justin Hill, earlier in the month when the in-stater committed to Alabama.
