Elite LB Riley Pettijohn sets commitment date

June visits bring July decisions, as a heap of the top uncommitted prospects in the 2025 cycle are set to come off the board at the beginning of this month. That now includes McKinney (Texas) four-star linebacker Riley Pettijohn.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder tells On3’s Hayes Fawcett that he will announce his commitment on July 6, choosing between Texas, Texas A&M, Ohio State and USC.

Pettijohn is the No. 33 overall prospect and No. 2 LB in the 2025 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 9 player in Texas.

Each of the four finalists had Pettijohn on campus for official visits last month. The in-state Longhorns are currently trending, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM).

Pettijohn family talks official visits

Pettijohn’s father, Duke, caught up with On3’s Steve Wiltfong following each of the four official visits taken in June.

Ohio State: “We really enjoyed our trip back to Columbus. 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.”

Texas: “The visit was as expected. They did a good job of highlighting all the resources Texas has that make them an elite program. They also made it abundantly clear how much they value Riley and his unique skill set.”

Texas A&M: “We had a really good visit at A&M. I think Coach Elko has done a tremendous job of changing the culture there in the short time he has been there. You can feel the renewed energy and optimism around the future of the program.”

USC: “Our biggest takeaway was their consistency in how they view Riley’s ability to be an impact player in their defense and how he’s an important piece to their future success. USC as an institution is phenomenal both academically and athletically so for us as parents we like what we saw.”

Riley Pettijohn Scouting Summary

On3’s scouting and rankings team writes this of Pettijohn as a prospect:

“Smooth and twitchy mover at the linebacker position who can run sideline to sideline with ease but also play as a true inside thumper with a nose for the football. Extremely impressive overall athleticism in a camp setting. Ran an excellent 11.22 100m and jumped a 5-foot-10 high jump during his sophomore track and field season. Measured in at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds during summer camp visits. Tremendous space player who is extremely comfortable in man and zone coverage. Triggers well to the football and closes to ball carriers quickly and efficiently. More likely to slip a blocker than stack and shed. Has the frame to add necessary mass for the next level. Upside is through the roof. One of the top overall prospects in the 2025 recruiting cycle.”