Texas continues to lead for elite LB target Riley Pettijohn

Last weekend was not only big for Texas football on the recruiting trail in the 2025 class but also for one of the bigger 7v7 tournaments of the spring. OT7 had one of two 7v7 tournaments held during back-to-back weekends in Dallas, TX, on April 6 and 7.

Texas football reportedly remains out in front for 4-Star LB Riley Pettijohn

Some of the bigger priority targets for the Longhorns in the 2025 class that were not on campus for Longhorn City Limits over the weekend were in Dallas competing in OT7. One of the biggest defensive priority recruits for Texas in the 2025 class who was at OT7 last weekend was the elite high-four-star McKinney (TX) linebacker Riley Pettijohn.

The No. 2 linebacker recruit in Texas in the 2025 class in the 247Sports Composite and On3 Industry Ranking is arguably the Longhorns' top in-state linebacker priority for this cycle.

Pettijohn had a jam-packed schedule late last week and during the weekend. Before the 7v7 tournament in Dallas, Pettijohn was in California for an unofficial visit to see the USC Trojans.

Following the first weekend of OT7 in Dallas, we got an update on which schools are at the top of the list for Pettijohn this spring. Horns247 reported on April 8 (paid content) that Texas is "still thought of as the leader" in this recruitment entering summer official visits.

USC and the Texas A&M Aggies are reportedly the biggest threats on the recruiting trail for the Longhorns in their pursuit of Pettijohn in the 2025 class this offseason.

Texas A&M and USC trying to chip away at Texas's lead

Texas has maintained its lead in this recruitment through the first few months of the offseason. A few schools have made big pushes on the recruiting trail to try and close the gap on the Longhorns' lead, including USC and the Georgia Bulldogs, but a combination of strong relationships on the coaching staff and proximity to home staying in state has kept Texas at the top.

Following an unofficial visit to USC last week, Pettijohn has a couple more spring visits scheduled in the coming weeks to see Texas A&M (April 13) and Texas (April 20). The Texas unofficial visit will be for the Orange-White spring football game at DKR, Pettijohn's first return visit to Austin since the first big Junior Day of the offseason on Jan. 20.

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