Rumors have been brewing about where 5-star linebacker Riley Pettijohn will pledge. The USC Trojans were a long shot in the process, but thanks to Coach Entz, they began to gain momentum toward the finish line. Pettijohn announced today his commitment decision.
Throughout his recruiting, the Texas product had been drawn to the University of Texas. Ohio State was the other major contender, and they made a late run. As of Friday evening, the On3 prediction system had Texas at 60.9%, Ohio State at 34.6%, and USC at just 1.5%.
Earlier this week, Pettijohn’s mother, Juliet Pettijohn, appeared to tip her son’s hand as to where he would commit. She may also have simply complimented USC LB Coach Entz without making a decision, as appears to be the situation presently.
This is just another missed opportunity for the USC Trojans on defense. They will still have the ability to pursue and flip Pettijohn until signing day, so the most important thing USC can do now is win in the fall and demonstrate that the defense has made a significant improvement.
BREAKING: Elite 2025 LB Riley Pettijohn has Committed to Ohio State, he tells me for @on3recruits
The 6’2 220 LB from McKinney, TX chose the Buckeyes over USC, Texas A&M, & Texas
“Ohio State feels like home & I’m ready to come in and compete for a National Championship & Butkus… pic.twitter.com/zjdFVwHLhM
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 6, 2024
The Future Of The USC Trojans Linebacker Room
Pettijohn would have joined a recruiting class that already includes one linebacker, Matai Tagoa’i, a 4-star local prospect. When the 2025 season begins, Tagoa’i will join a fairly youthful team (transfer portal players pending), with four veterans, Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, Eric Gentry, Mason Cobb, and Raesjon Davis, expected to depart.
With only one LB in the 2025 class, USC will need to sign another talented player or try to flip Riley Pettijohn. This has happened at USC with guys such as Isaiah Gibson; will they now be the program to do this?
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