Tony Thomas
Author
Week 1 of the 2025 college football season will feature a top-five matchup between the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. the No. 1 Texas Longhorns.
Three true freshmen, two for the Buckeyes and one for the Longhorns, have performed superbly in spring practice and fall camp. They have played like super seniors and could earn playing time in week 1 and beyond. All three players are from the State of Texas.
According to 247Sports, Ohio State posted the No. 4 recruiting class in the 2025 cycle. The Buckeyes traveled to Texas and signed two standout defenders from the Lone Star State, cornerback Devin Sanchez (6-foot-2, 180 pounds) and linebacker Riley Pettijohn (6-foot-1-1/2, 215 pounds).
Both players have performed so well, they have shed their black stripes on their helmets, signifying they have done things the correct way and have performed their jobs well enough on the football field to earn playing time as true freshmen.
A Houston Northshore High product, Sanchez was the No. 1 cornerback in the 2025 class and was anointed a Top 5 prospect by 247Sports. In a stellar junior season, Sanchez made 57 tackles, 29 pass breakups, and intercepted nine passes. That kind of skill has caught the attention of head coach Ryan Day and his staff.
Pettijohn, a standout linebacker from McKinney, Texas, was ranked as the No. 6 linebacker nationally by 247Sports coming out of high school.
Over his final two seasons of prep football, Pettijohn racked up 240 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and eight sacks. That kind of production has translated nicely to the collegiate practice fields on the Ohio State campus.
The projected third receiver for head coach Steve Sarkisian’s Longhorns, according to college football analyst Phil Steele, is five-star true freshman Kaliq Lockett out of Sachse, Texas.
Lockett was ranked as the No. 2 receiver nationally and a Top 25 overall prospect out of Sachse High School. Lockettโs four-year stat line at the prep level looks like this: 150 catches, over 2,600 yards and 29 TD catches.
At 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, Lockett is one of five five-star signees to a recruiting class that was ranked No. 1 for the 2025 recruiting cycle.
College football in The Horseshoe on the final Saturday in August will be must-watch football.
Players, donned in scarlet and gray and burnt orange and white, will give their all and leave it all on the field, in front of a passionate and grateful fan base. Their search for gridiron glory is what makes college football the greatest sport in all the land.
