Caleb Houser
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Buckeyes make the cut for top 2025 targets; three defensive stars high on Ohio State
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Ohio State is still in the mix for multiple top target 2025 prospects
Though reports have indicated that James Laurinaitis has interviewed for a position with the Cleveland Browns, he is still on staff with the Buckeyes and his impact seems to still be paying dividends for OSU. Interview or not, in my opinion, the smart play is to do whatever you can to keep Laurinaitis in Columbus given everything that he can bring to the program — recruiting being at the forefront alongside his ability to develop future LB stars.
Knowing how vital he’s been to recruiting the 2025 class, Ohio State is continuing to be in the mix for some of the best linebackers in the country and yesterday, another top target joined that trend when Texas native Riley Pettijohn shared the latest news in his recruitment. Dropping a list of just six remaining programs, Pettijohn is making his way through the process and is getting closer to a decision as to where he will play college football.
The No. 33 player nationally and the third best linebacker in the country per the 247Sports Composite Ratings, Pettijohn kept Georgia, Florida State, Texas, Texas A&M, USC, and Ohio State in the fold. With well over 30 offers to his name, the Buckeyes are undoubtedly happy to be in the running as he gets closer to making a final call.
From here, Ohio State does have plans to host Pettijohn at the end of March for a visit and you can bet that the red carpet will be laid out for him during his stay. Until then, Ohio State is in solid position and remains that way for other top targets such as Tarvos Alford and Anthony Sacca. There’s plenty of work still to do, but if Laurinaitis is on the trail, odds are the Buckeyes will stay toward the top for some of the best defenders in the country.
The aforementioned Anthony Sacca has been a frequent topic of discussion for Buckeye fans lately as he has Ohio State among his favorite schools. But the Buckeyes are hoping Sacca’s interest will open the door to one of his teammates at St. Joe’s Prep, it probably also doesn’t hurt that the school produced Marvin Harrison Jr... although the fact that Kyle McCord went there too might not be in the Buckeyes’ favor.
A school with the pedigree of St. Joe’s doesn’t tend to have just one high-profile prospect and that is certainly the case in the 2025 class as there are multiple guys with big-time college offers. One of those fellow Power Five-caliber players at St. Joe’s updated his recruitment and dropped a list of six schools he is still keeping in mind.
The No. 146 player nationally and the 17th best defensive lineman in the country per the 247Sports Composite grades, Maxwell Roy is also making his way through the process and getting closer to a decision on the school of his choice. A 6-foot-3, 270-pound athlete, Roy has offers from nearly 20 schools and from some of the biggest names in the sport. However, all that remains is Duke, Michigan, Oregon, Rutgers, Wisconsin, and Ohio State.
The Buckeyes fully expect to bring in a larger-than-normal defensive line class in 2025 out of necessity, and with Zahir Mathis already committed, the haul is off to a great start. Another position that will continue to see a ton of work and effort, the staff is in a great spot for many of the top guys on their board, but has to keep on going. Roy will be a name worth watching and with a defensive coordinator who is also an alum of St. Joe’s Prep, you’d have to assume that this staff will keep on being a frequent visitor to the Philly program that is producing some of the best players in the country.
One more for good measure, four-star defensive lineman Darren Ikinnagbon also shared a top schools list via his Twitter account on Wednesday. The No. 334 player nationally per the 247Sports Composite grades, Ikinnagbon is now down to just eight schools out of over 20 offers to choose from.
Keeping Georgia, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Rutgers, Duke, Tennessee, Penn State, and Ohio State under consideration, this is another edge rusher that Ohio State is keeping tabs on. Offering just last month, this is a newer name to watch, but keeping the Buckeyes in the mix this soon after his Ohio State offer should show how he feels about the program overall.
Continue reading...
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Ohio State is still in the mix for multiple top target 2025 prospects
Ohio State still in the mix for top 2025 linebacker
Though reports have indicated that James Laurinaitis has interviewed for a position with the Cleveland Browns, he is still on staff with the Buckeyes and his impact seems to still be paying dividends for OSU. Interview or not, in my opinion, the smart play is to do whatever you can to keep Laurinaitis in Columbus given everything that he can bring to the program — recruiting being at the forefront alongside his ability to develop future LB stars.
Knowing how vital he’s been to recruiting the 2025 class, Ohio State is continuing to be in the mix for some of the best linebackers in the country and yesterday, another top target joined that trend when Texas native Riley Pettijohn shared the latest news in his recruitment. Dropping a list of just six remaining programs, Pettijohn is making his way through the process and is getting closer to a decision as to where he will play college football.
The No. 33 player nationally and the third best linebacker in the country per the 247Sports Composite Ratings, Pettijohn kept Georgia, Florida State, Texas, Texas A&M, USC, and Ohio State in the fold. With well over 30 offers to his name, the Buckeyes are undoubtedly happy to be in the running as he gets closer to making a final call.
From here, Ohio State does have plans to host Pettijohn at the end of March for a visit and you can bet that the red carpet will be laid out for him during his stay. Until then, Ohio State is in solid position and remains that way for other top targets such as Tarvos Alford and Anthony Sacca. There’s plenty of work still to do, but if Laurinaitis is on the trail, odds are the Buckeyes will stay toward the top for some of the best defenders in the country.
NEWS: Elite 2025 LB Riley Pettijohn is down toSchools!
The 6’2 215 LB from McKinney, TX is ranked as a Top 30 Recruit in the ‘25 Class (No. 3 LB)
Where Should He Go? https://t.co/aYn0e8cjlJ pic.twitter.com/4VuMgUnIJT
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) February 14, 2024
Another St. Joe’s Prep athlete digging the Buckeyes
The aforementioned Anthony Sacca has been a frequent topic of discussion for Buckeye fans lately as he has Ohio State among his favorite schools. But the Buckeyes are hoping Sacca’s interest will open the door to one of his teammates at St. Joe’s Prep, it probably also doesn’t hurt that the school produced Marvin Harrison Jr... although the fact that Kyle McCord went there too might not be in the Buckeyes’ favor.
A school with the pedigree of St. Joe’s doesn’t tend to have just one high-profile prospect and that is certainly the case in the 2025 class as there are multiple guys with big-time college offers. One of those fellow Power Five-caliber players at St. Joe’s updated his recruitment and dropped a list of six schools he is still keeping in mind.
The No. 146 player nationally and the 17th best defensive lineman in the country per the 247Sports Composite grades, Maxwell Roy is also making his way through the process and getting closer to a decision on the school of his choice. A 6-foot-3, 270-pound athlete, Roy has offers from nearly 20 schools and from some of the biggest names in the sport. However, all that remains is Duke, Michigan, Oregon, Rutgers, Wisconsin, and Ohio State.
The Buckeyes fully expect to bring in a larger-than-normal defensive line class in 2025 out of necessity, and with Zahir Mathis already committed, the haul is off to a great start. Another position that will continue to see a ton of work and effort, the staff is in a great spot for many of the top guys on their board, but has to keep on going. Roy will be a name worth watching and with a defensive coordinator who is also an alum of St. Joe’s Prep, you’d have to assume that this staff will keep on being a frequent visitor to the Philly program that is producing some of the best players in the country.
Quick Hits:
One more for good measure, four-star defensive lineman Darren Ikinnagbon also shared a top schools list via his Twitter account on Wednesday. The No. 334 player nationally per the 247Sports Composite grades, Ikinnagbon is now down to just eight schools out of over 20 offers to choose from.
Keeping Georgia, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Rutgers, Duke, Tennessee, Penn State, and Ohio State under consideration, this is another edge rusher that Ohio State is keeping tabs on. Offering just last month, this is a newer name to watch, but keeping the Buckeyes in the mix this soon after his Ohio State offer should show how he feels about the program overall.
Continue reading...