Teammate of Gators Commit Names Florida Among Top Schools

McKinney (Texas) linebacker product Riley Pettijohn took the first major step in his recruitment process on Thursday, releasing an initial cut of prospective schools vying for his services.

Pettijohn trimmed his 32-team offer sheet to just 12 remaining contenders, including the Florida Gators alongside Auburn, Colorado, Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, SMU, TCU, Texas and USC.

Where’s Home? https://t.co/pd0fYt17u5
— Riley Pettijohn (@r_pettijohn) October 19, 2023

The four-star second-level defender currently operates alongside Gators safety 2024 commit Xavier Filsaime at McKinney High School, where the duo have elevated the Lions to a 6-1 record on the 2023 campaign.

As a junior, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound linebacker has built on his breakout sophomore campaign to post 73 tackles, five tackles for loss and one sack while showcasing the athleticism, speed in pursuit and downhill diagnosis skills required of a three-down linebacker at the collegiate level.

Several top-tier programs in college football have accordingly taken notice over the past year of his recruitment.

Pettijohn has shown documented interest in Florida since his receiving his offer in May. He visited Gainesville twice unofficially over the summer, building a foundational rapport with the Gators coaching staff in the preliminary stages of his process.

Linebackers coach Jay Bateman — who has reeled in the best position haul of UF's No. 3 2024 recruiting class with commitments from Myles Graham, Adarius Hayes and Aaron Chiles — has notably remained in contact with the Lone Star State product and will look to capitalize on Pettijohn’s early intrigue to maintain the momentum of stacking talent in the off-ball linebacker role.

Having Filsaime offering unsolicited recruiting pitches, as Pettijohn said he does at The Cookout in Gainesville in late July, can aid the Gators' efforts to secure the uber-talented off-ball linebacker.

Pettijohn is currently rated as the No. 5 linebacker and No. 37 overall player in the 2025 class, according to 247Sports Composite Rankings. The timeline for his commitment is undetermined.

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