Tag: Riley Pettijohn

Ohio State to host elite linebacker who recently named Buckeyes to top six

A spring visit is on the books for the elite Texas linebacker to Columbus

Less than a week ago, Texas 2025 linebacker [autotag]Riley Pettijohn[/autotag] released his top six schools, with Ohio State making the cut.

Now the nations No. 3 linebacker and 33rd overall player according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings has announced that he will make a spring visit to Columbus. Pettijohn will visit five of the six schools that he named in his top remaining group, with the lone exception being Georgia.

Just reading between the lines, it looked like the Bulldogs will have to make up some ground on the other schools, including the Buckeyes. Now that James Laurinaitis has been elevated to the Ohio State linebackers coach, the pressure will be on to land the elite linebacker.

Ohio State does have a linebacker commit in the 2025 class, Eli Lee, but will be looking at add at least two others to the room in the cycle.

Contact/Follow @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on X.

Four-star LB Riley Pettijohn schedules unofficial visit to Texas

The McKinney (TX) linebacker will make an unofficial visit for Texas’ spring game.

Texas will host several highly rated recruiting targets on campus for its spring game on April 20. Continue reading “Four-star LB Riley Pettijohn schedules unofficial visit to Texas”

Four-star linebacker Riley Pettijohn names top schools

Four-star class of 2025 linebacker recruit Riley Pettijohn names his top six schools

Four-star linebacker recruit Riley Pettijohn has narrowed down his list of top schools. Pettijohn, who is on the verge of being ranked as a five-star recruit, plays high school football for McKinney High School in McKinney, Texas.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound linebacker is ranked as the No. 27 player in the country, per On3. The class of 2025 standout is the No. 7 player in Texas and the third-ranked linebacker. Pettijohn’s top six schools are Georgia, Florida State, Texas A&M, USC, Ohio State, and Texas.

Georgia football has done an outstanding job of recruiting inside linebackers in recent seasons. The Bulldogs have signed three linebackers ranked as top-10 players at their position in the Dawgs’ past two signing classes. Linebacker is not a huge position of need for the Bulldogs in the class of 2025, but inside linebackers coach Glenn Schumann is always looking for elite talent and Georgia should not be counted out in Pettijohn’s recruitment.

Haye Fawcett of On3 announced Pettijohn’s top six schools via social media:

Ohio State football makes top six for 2025 elite linebacker

The Buckeyes make the cut for the Texas linebacker

Ohio State football is constantly looking for high-end high school prospects and it is making a good amount of noise on the recruiting trail.

One of those players the Buckeyes are after is Texas linebacker, [autotag]Riley Pettijohn[/autotag], who announced his top six school on Wednesday evening. The Buckeyes made the cut along with Texas, Georgia, Florida State, USC, and Texas A&M.

At 6-foot, 2-inch and 205-pounds, Pettijohn is one of the best at his position and in the nation. The 247Sports Composite Rankings has him as the No. 3 linebacker and 33rd overall prospect, making him a high 4-star, just below the 5-star range.

It will be hard to get him to leave his home state of Texas, but Ohio State had done that many times before. At the current moment, Eli Lee is the only other commit the Buckeyes have at linebacker.

Contact/Follow @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on X.

Elite linebacker Riley Pettijohn sets first visit to Auburn

The Tigers are set to host Riley Pettijohn, one of the best linebackers in the country, on a visit.

[autotag]Riley Pettijohn[/autotag] is one of the top players in the 2025 cycle and a key target for Auburn at linebacker.

The McKinney, Texas product included Auburn in his top 12 schools back in October but has yet to visit the Plains. That will change next weekend according to a report from 247Sports’ Mike Roach. Pettijohn is set to attend Auburn’s third and final Junior Day before the dead period starts in February.

Pettijohn is the No. 33 overall player and No. 3 linebacker in the 247Sports composite ranking. He is also the No. 7 player from Texas.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder had a sensational junior season for McKinney High School, making 125 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, and one interception in 11 games.

The Tigers have the No. 6 recruiting class in the 2025 recruiting cycle and while it is highlighted by five blue-chip defenders, none of them are linebackers. [autotag]Josh Aldridge[/autotag] has Auburn in the mix for several top targets in addition to Pettijohn, but this visit will give the Tigers a chance to become a serious contender for him.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15

Florida’s defense impresses top-25 LB on first gameday visit

The Gators hosted four-star linebacker Riley Pettijohn on his first gameday visit, and he left the Swamp impressed with Florida defense.

Florida’s football team didn’t get the result it wanted on the field Saturday against Florida State, but the Gators got the job done off the field.

McKinney (Texas) linebacker [autotag]Riley Pettijohn[/autotag], a top-25 player in the 2025 class, was in Gainesville for his first gameday visit to the Swamp, and he left town impressed with Florida’s defensive, according to 247Sports.

“I liked it,” Pettijohn said. “It was live. I thought the defense played really well. It was one stupid penalty at the end. I really liked the atmosphere, and really liked the way the defense played too.”

There’s no doubt that Pettijohn is taking Florida seriously, especially because his five-star teammate Xavier Filsaime is committed there as well. Filsaime will join the program in 2024, but the two could reunite the following year.

Defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong and inside linebackers coach Jay Bateman are his two biggest connections at Florida. He would fit into the WILL linebacker spot, given Florida’s current defensive scheme.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Florida survives first cut for blue-chip class of 2025 linebacker

The Florida Gators survived the first cut in the recruitment of Riley Pettijohn, a consensus four-star linebacker in the class of 2025.

Florida is eyeing one of the nation’s top linebackers from the class of 2025 — McKinney High’s (Texas) [autotag]Riley Pettijohn[/autotag] — and the Gators survived his first cut on Thursday.

Pettijohn narrowed his focus down to 12 colleges, according to On3’s Hayes Fawcett. Florida will compete with Auburn, Colorado, Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, SMU, TCU, Texas and USC for his services moving forward.

The Big Ten program offers an immediate shot at a national championship compared to some of the SEC teams that are still in the race. Florida and LSU are both in Year 2 under new head coaches, and Coach Prime obviously has Colorado trending up in the Big 12. The Longhorns and Sooners will both be in the SEC by the time Pettijohn is playing college ball, too.

It won’t be easy for the Gators to win this race, but Billy Napier and his staff do have a good record recruiting linebackers at Florida.

The Gators last hosted Pettijohn over the summer. He’s likely to make a decision by next summer, so Florida will have to work on him for an official visit over the next nine months.

Pettijohn is a consensus four-star recruit, ranked the highest by On3 at No. 28 overall in the class of 2025. He lands at the same spot on the On3 industry ranking, which uses a weighted average of all four major recruiting services. Pettijohn is also ranked No. 3 among linebackers and No. 7 among recruits from the state of Texas in his class.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Four-star LB Riley Pettijohn puts Auburn in top group

Auburn is still in the mix for Riley Pettijohn following the first cut.

[autotag]Riley Pettijohn[/autotag]’s recruitment is far from over but the linebacker took an important step Thursday when he announced his top 12 schools.

The McKinney, Texas, product is down to Auburn, Florida, Florida State, USC, Texas, Ohio State, Colorado, Oklahoma, LSU, Michigan, SMU and TCU.

A member of the 2025 recruiting class, Auburn extended him an offer on April 7 and is working on getting him to the Plains for a visit. He is the No. 37 overall player and No. 5 linebacker in the 247Sports composite ranking. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder is also the No. 7 player from Texas.

Pettijohn is having a dominant junior season for McKinney High School, making 73 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss and 1.0 sack in six games so far.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15

Lone Star State LB recruit to visit Florida for Grill in the Ville event

After a successful visit in June, this 2025 defensive standout will get another taste of the Swamp on Saturday.

The first edition of Florida football’s midsummer Grill in the Ville event is just a day away as the program prepares to host a plethora of prep prospects from a range of recruiting classes into the Swamp in an effort to build a closer relationship with Billy Napier and the Gators’ staff.

The 2024 class by far outnumbers the other two but the 2025 visitors all arrive in Gainesville with blue-chip ratings. Among them is four-star linebacker [autotag]Riley Pettijohn[/autotag] out of McKinney (Texas), who scheduled his late-July stop in Gainesville shortly after his visit in early June.

The 6-foot-3-inch, 200-pound defender has a positive view of the Sunshine State’s flagship university after his first visit.

“I like Florida because one, it’s in the south, and when I last visited, the coaches and facility were top-notch,” Pettijohn told Gators Online’s Corey Bender. “I don’t really talk with anyone often, but (running backs) coach (Jabbar) Juluke or (recruiting assistant) Joe Hamilton will hit my family up sometimes.”

The Texas Longhorns, LSU Tigers, Michigan Wolverines, Oregon Ducks, Auburn Tigers, Florida State Seminoles, Oklahoma Sooners, Tennessee Volunteers, Texas A&M Aggies and Notre Dame Fighting Irish are among the many programs that have extended an offer to the high school junior so far, with many others also in play.

Pettijohn is ranked No. 51 overall and No. 9 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 62 and 8, respectively. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has the Southern Methodist Mustangs with a 17.7% chance of signing him, followed by Texas (15.5%), FSU (13.3%) and Florida (11.1%).

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1368]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Gators to get second summer visit from blue-chip 2025 linebacker

This Lone Star State prospect will be in attendance for the Grill in the Ville event at the end of this month.

Following a successful trip to campus the first weekend of June, 2025 four-star linebacker [autotag]Riley Pettijohn[/autotag] out of McKinney (Texas) has set another visit date with Billy Napier and his Florida football program.

The 6-foot-3-inch, 200-pound defender appears to be set for a stop in Gainesville for the Grill in the Ville event held at the end of July, according to Gators Online’s Corey Bender. It will be the second time he stops in the Swamp this summer.

“I like Florida because one, it’s in the south, and when I last visited, the coaches and facility were top-notch,” Pettijohn told GO. “I don’t really talk with anyone often, but (running backs) coach (Jabbar) Juluke or (recruiting assistant) Joe Hamilton will hit my family up sometimes.”

The Texas Longhorns, LSU Tigers, Michigan Wolverines, Oregon Ducks, Auburn Tigers, Florida State Seminoles, Oklahoma Sooners, Tennessee Volunteers, Texas A&M Aggies and Notre Dame Fighting Irish are among the many programs that have extended an offer to the rising high school junior already.

Pettijohn is ranked No. 55 overall and No. 9 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 58 and 8, respectively. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has the Southern Methodist Mustangs in the lead for his commitment with a 17.7% chance of signing him, followed by Texas (15.5%), FSU (13.3%) and Florida (11.1%).

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1368]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.