McKinney linebacker Riley Pettijohn is a Rivals100 member so it will surprise nobody to learn that he’s a priority target for the Texas Longhorns. Earlier this month, the UT staff was able to get Pettijohn on campus for a Texas junior, and Pettijohn said he enjoyed the opportunity to get some one-on-one time with the Longhorn coaches.

“I loved getting to talk to coach (Steve) Sark(isian) and meeting coach (Johnny) Nansen. I met him last week but I finally got a chance to speak with him in person about Texas,” Pettijohn said. “I liked the atmosphere at the basketball game too.”

The 6-3, 200-pound Pettijohn holds close to 40 offers from programs all over the country. Texas offered back in May of last year, and the UT coaches stressed to Pettijohn during his visit how much he’s wanted in Austin.

“Basically they said that I’m a priority for them at Texas right now,” Pettijohn said. “And they just said how they’re excited to get me down there again, and stressing that I’m a priority.”

In October, Petttijohn dropped a top 12 consisting of Florida, Florida State, USC, Texas, Ohio State, Colorado, Oklahoma, LSU, Michigan, Auburn, SMU and TCU. The Longhorns have continued to hold a solid position with the standout defender and Texas will likely make the cut when Pettijohn trims his list further.

“They’re definitely up there, like definitely top five,” Pettijohn said.

A former high school teammate of Texas freshman Xavier Filsaime, Pettijohn said there’s a lot to like about the UT program, including the fact that he has some familiarity with the players on the UT roster.

“I definitely love the location with them being at Texas, close to home. I have teammates there, friends there. And I love what coach Sark is doing,” Pettijohn said.

Ranked as a four-star prospect, Pettijohn checks in at No. 70 on the Rivals100 and he’s ranked as the nation’s top inside linebacker prospect.