Riley Pettijohn has done more than work his way into Ohio State’s linebacker rotation. Four games into the season, he looks like the best player in the room.
That might sound aggressive if you’re only looking at the depth chart. It doesn’t sound nearly as bold if you’ve watched the snaps. Pettijohn has stacked up 15 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception on 145 defensive snaps, and most of that work has come in a rotational role rather than as a starter.
The rest of Ohio State’s linebacker group has been solid, but Pettijohn keeps making the kind of plays that swing drives. Payton Pierce, the starting Mike, has 20 tackles, half a sack and a forced fumble on 160 snaps.
Christian Alliegro has 17 tackles on 141. Those are useful numbers.
Pettijohn’s production is the stuff that ends possessions.
He showed it right away against Texas, when he got to Arch Manning for a first-quarter sack and tied for the team lead with 1.5 tackles for loss in the Buckeyes’ biggest non-conference test. He showed it again against Kent State, turning 27 snaps into three tackles and an interception while earning a 91.5 PFF grade, the highest on the team that day. Then against Illinois, he dropped Katin Houser for a nine-yard sack on third-and-9 to force a punt, added another tackle for loss and finished with a team-high two TFLs.
If there was any doubt about where the coaches’ trust sits, Saturday offered another clue: Pettijohn played 51 snaps against Illinois, his high mark of the season and the most of any Ohio State linebacker, even though he did not start.
That’s the part that makes this feel settled already. The depth chart hasn’t changed yet, but the usage has.
It’s not as if Ohio State’s other linebackers have been liabilities. Pierce is a tackle collector who was PFF’s highest-graded Buckeye defender at Texas with a 75.9, even if questions about his speed and coverage still hang around.
Alliegro arrived from Wisconsin with 124 career tackles, 14 tackles for loss and eight sacks, plus the ability to slide outside as an edge rusher. TJ Alford has an interception of his own and entered the Illinois game as the highest-graded player on the defense according to PFF.
Still, Pettijohn brings a different kind of juice.
He came to Columbus as a five-star recruit, the No. 2 linebacker in the 2025 class per the 247Sports Composite, and a high school Butkus Award finalist at McKinney after piling up 115 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks as a senior. He also ran a 10.7 in the 100 meters.
At 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds, he can live in the box, rush off the edge in Matt Patricia’s hybrid looks and run with backs and tight ends. All of that is happening after he missed the entire spring with an injury.
That’s why the conversation feels like it’s moving in one direction. The only thing left to sort out is what his spot looks like on paper, and that should be answered before Saturday.
Ohio State goes to Kinnick Stadium to face No. 14 Iowa, a 4-0 team with a balanced rushing attack and improved quarterback play from Hank Brown.
Maryland comes next, followed by a trip to No. 6 Indiana.
Those are the kinds of games where linebackers have to fit the run, finish in space and get home on third down. Pettijohn has already shown he can do all three.
In Other News...
Julian Sayin Sends Ohio State Offense A Clear Warning Before Iowa
Julian Sayin left the Illinois game sounding more like a quarterback settling into the bigger picture than one looking for a quick victory lap. He pointed to the offense's steady progress, the value of keeping drives alive with his legs, and the growing comfort level around him as young receivers continue to take on larger roles. Jeremiah Smith has been a central part of that mix, and Sayin also credited the veteran offensive linemen for helping stabilize things up front as the Buckeyes keep building.
The next test comes with another road trip, and Sayin made it clear those spots demand sharper execution and a little more maturity from everyone involved. Iowa is the kind of place where the margin for error can shrink fast, and Ohio State's quarterback knows the offense cannot treat this as a finished product. The message from Sayin was simple enough: the Buckeyes have come a long way, but the real work is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Still Has One Passing Game Issue Jeremiah Smith Cant Solve
Jeremiah Smith has been everything Ohio State could have hoped for in the passing game, and then some. The offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith, pointed to the wideouts exceptional production, with Jeremiah Smith leading the nation in receiving yards and touchdowns, while the Buckeyes continue to lean on him as the centerpiece of the aerial attack.
Still, the passing game has one lingering question beyond its star. Ohio State is trying to establish a reliable second option, with Devin McCuin currently sitting as the teams second-leading receiver, and coaches and players have kept stressing that the offense will need more than one target to keep evolving. The message from inside the program is clear enough: the Buckeyes are pleased with the production they have, but they also know the next layer of consistency has to come from somewhere else. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Has One Huge Chance To Make A National Statement
Ohio State heads into a rare early measuring-stick game with a chance to leave no doubt about where it stands nationally. The Buckeyes have looked sharp enough to build real momentum, and the next step comes in a difficult road setting where every possession matters and every explosive play carries extra weight.
Jeremiah Smith remains one of the biggest reasons this game has taken on added intrigue, even beyond the team stakes around him. With the matchup set against unbeaten Iowa and its stingy defense at Kinnick Stadium, Ohio State will also be watching how Julian Sayin handles the moment and whether the defense can create the kind of turnovers that turn a good win into something louder. [Read more 🡒]