5-Star LB Riley Pettijohn Commits to Ohio State over Texas, USC, Texas A&M

Ohio State's 2025 recruiting class got a huge boost on Saturday with the addition of McKinney High School linebacker Riley Pettijohn.

Pettijohn told Hayes Fawcett of On3.com he was committing to the Buckeyes to "come in and compete for a National Championship and Butkus award."

Hunter Shelton of On3.com noted Pettijohn chose the Buckeyes over Texas, USC and Texas A&M.

Per 247Sports' composite rankings, Pettijohn is a 5-star recruit and the No. 4 linebacker prospect in the 2025 class.

Pettijohn announced his top four schools on June 1, one day after taking an official visit to Ohio State. He was recruited to the Buckeyes by linebackers coach James Laurinaitis and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.

Ohio State was the first team Pettijohn had an official visit with. He met with USC on June 7, followed by Texas on June 14 and Texas A&M on June 21.

"We really enjoyed our trip back to Columbus," Pettijohn's father, Duke, told Shelton last month after their visit with the Buckeyes. "The biggest takeaway we had was just the consistency and transparency in everything about the program. Ohio State is an elite institution that is poised to remain for a long time and we like that."

Pettijohn is the latest elite talent to join an already-stacked Ohio State recruiting class. Head coach Ryan Day's 2025 freshman group is ranked No. 1 in the nation with 23 total commitments, including four 5-star players, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

The competition in the Big Ten will get more intense with USC, Oregon, Washington and UCLA joining the conference starting this season.

Ohio State has never struggled to recruit, but the margin for error could get smaller with a more difficult schedule in the future. Adding players like Pettijohn will go a long way toward ensuring the Buckeyes remain in contention for a national title on a yearly basis.