Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 56-3vs Ball State | 6 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 6 tackles |
| Wk 2 | L 23-24@ Texas | 3 | 2 | 1.5 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 59-3vs Kent State | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 12 | 5 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 |
#5
Riley Pettijohn
Sophomore linebacker for Ohio State. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′2″ · 235 lb · McKinney, TX
The numbers
12
tackles · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 3 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1 sacks, at Texas
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Sophomore linebacker for Ohio State. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Ohio State in 2025.
Buzz vs Tape
Every angle we can check here reads about where you'd expect this season.
30.7own fans
26.7national conversation
Also checked out fine:
Riley Pettijohn
Second year in the Ohio State linebacker corps, same address the whole way. The receipt on tape: 6 tackles, 0.5 TFL against Ball State, Week 1, 2026.
12 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
20255 games
- Signed with Ohio State4-star out of McKinney
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
Ohio State
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Ohio State | 12 | 5 | 2.0 | 1.0 | -- | 1 | -- |
| 2025 | Ohio State | 9 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| Career | 21 | 8 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | -- |
Game log
Game by game
Riley Pettijohn's 2026 production
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 56–3
vs Ball State
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +3 tackles.
Season context · Team result + system
2 seasons under Ryan Day — 14-3 over that span.
2025Ohio State12-2HC: Ryan Day · Run-leaning
2026Ohio State2-1HC: Ryan Day · Balanced
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: sacks (84th percentile). Strength: tackles for loss (80th percentile). Concern: solo tackles (21st percentile).
Box-score production (7)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits & context
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 4.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Road1g | 3.0 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 4.0 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Ryan Day
Pass share
48.3%
97 pass / 104 run
Plays / game
67.0
3 games
Team sack rate
4.8%
105 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Background
Career Highs 3 Total Tackles vs. Ohio (Sept. 13, 2025) 1.0 Tackles for Loss vs. Rutgers (Nov. 11, 2022) 1 Forced Fumble vs. Grambling (Sept. 6, 2025) 1 Fumble Recovery vs. Grambling (Sept. 6, 2025) 1 Defensive Touchdown vs. Grambling (Sept. 6, 2025) Honors and Awards 2025: OSU Scholar-Athlete…
The linebacker corps · Ohio State
- #14Christian Alliegro48 tackles · 2025
- #26Payton Pierce44 tackles · 2025
- #5Riley Pettijohn9 tackles · 2025
- #17Tarvos Alford6 tackles · 2025
- #23Garrett Stover5 tackles · 2025
9 more on the roster · Ohio State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology