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Eli Lederman, ESPN Staff Writer
After missing out on a pair of top-100 prospects this week, Ohio State landed another high-profile defenders for its top-ranked 2025 class with a commitment from four-star outside linebacker Riley Pettijohn Saturday afternoon.
Pettijohn, No. 48 in the ESPN 300, joins the Buckeyes as the fifth-ranked outside linebacker in this cycle and picked Ohio State over finalists Texas, USC and Texas A&M. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound defender steps in as the program’s 16th ESPN 300 pledge and the eighth top-100 commit on defense in 2025.
Pettijohn, who announced his commitment on Instagram, is entering his senior season this fall at Texas’ McKinney High School, where he also competes in track and field. He is the son of former Syracuse defensive lineman Duke Pettijohn, a two-time All-Big East selection with the Orange from 1997 to 2000.
Pettijohn’s pledge comes in the same week top-100 outside linebacker Justin Hill picked Alabama over Ohio State and follows No. 1 wide receiver Dakorien Moore’s commitment to Oregon in a hotly contested recruiting battle.
With a list of nearly 30 Power 4 offers, Pettijohn narrowed his recruitment this spring to four schools and paid official visits to each of Ohio State, USC, Texas and Texas A&M before making his decision. In the end, he’ll land at Ohio State, swayed by a recruiting process led by Buckeyes defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and linebackers coach James Laurinaitis.
Pettijohn has proven himself over the course of his high school career as an athletic tackler capable of playing both on the edge and in linebacker roles. After tallying 42 tackles in his sophomore season in 2022, Pettijohn exploded as a junior, registering 125 total tackles with three sacks and an interception last fall. He projects firmly as a linebacker at the next level with high upside as a member of perhaps the most talented defensive class in the nation in this cycle.
With Pettijohn, Ohio State’s No. 1 class is now up to 22 pledges. On defense, that group includes the nation’s top pair of cornerback in Na’eem Offord and Devin Sanchez, No. 1 safety Faheem Delane and trio of top-10 defensive ends in London Merrit (No. 4 DE in 2025), Zahir Mathis (No. 6) and Zion Grady (No. 10). No. 7 outside linebacker Tarvos Alford has been committed to the Buckeyes since March.
