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scarletngray
Gold Pants
Love this addition. Tough, likes to bring the lumber, throwback LB.
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RhodeIslandBuck
This guy's a real jerk
3 star, in state linebackers seem to do well at OSU, great pull.
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Welcome to the fam CJ! Something tells me that he plays much better than his ranking. I like how he flies to the ball and is relentless in getting to the offensive player
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I'm guessing he will get a 4th star at least one service
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Better Know a Buckeye: CJ Sanna’s Rise In Just Two Years at Middle Linebacker Shows His Raw Ability and Potential
CJ Sanna only played two years as a middle linebacker in high school, but he quickly ascended to become a top-15 linebacker in the 2026 class in those two seasons.
Better Know a Buckeye: CJ Sanna’s Rise In Just Two Years at Middle Linebacker Shows His Raw Ability and Potential
Scouting Report
In the middle of the Olentangy defense, Sanna showcased his football IQ, awareness, and instincts. With his ability to run downhill, he excels as a QB spy and run stopper. He uses his eyes and elusiveness to avoid opposing blockers and make plays on the ball.Sanna made a habit of trucking opposing ballcarriers over with his strength and size in high school, but he must wrap them up more consistently as he goes against bigger and stronger players at the collegiate level.
With just two years of full-time linebacker play under his belt, Sanna has shown the ability to be a dominant playmaker in the middle of the defense while having plenty of room to learn and grow at Ohio State.
Depth Chart Outlook
Just like he was in the latter two years at Olentangy, Sanna is projected to be a Mike linebacker for Ohio State. With that, his first season as a Buckeye will certainly be a developmental one. Payton Pierce will lead the depth chart at Mike linebacker for Ohio State in 2026, while Riley Pettijohn, fellow freshman Cincere Johnson and rising sophomore Eli Lee are among the other Buckeyes who will likely be ahead of him on this year’s depth chart.
Sanna must develop well to become a future starter in the loaded linebacker room that James Laurinaitis has built, but playing for one of the best linebacker coaches in the country will give him a chance to maximize his potential and become a difference-maker for the Silver Bullets.
Player Comparison: Tommy Eichenberg
After redshirting his first season as a Buckeye in 2019, Eichenberg received very minimal playing time in his second season in Columbus, totaling just two tackles. But he started to make a name for himself in his third year at Ohio State and became a dominant linebacker as a redshirt junior in 2022.In his fourth season with the Buckeyes, Eichenberg notched 120 tackles (12 for loss), 2.5 sacks, an interception and three pass breakups. The 6-2, 235-pounder totaled 268 tackles (21 for loss), 2.5 sacks, two interceptions (one pick-six), five pass breakups, a forced fumble and one fumble recovery in his final three seasons at OSU. He was a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft following his fifth season with the Buckeyes.
Sanna, like Eichenberg, is an in-state linebacker prospect who was a four-star recruit. Also like Eichenberg, Sanna will likely need multiple years of development before he plays a major role for the Buckeyes. But if Sanna can continue to develop into a do-it-all middle linebacker after switching to the position before his junior season in high school, the 6-2, 230-pounder could follow a similar path as Eichenberg to eventually starring in the middle of Ohio State’s defense.
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