Larry Johnson has pulled off a late flip for the 2025 class.
Four-star 2025 prospect Epi Sitanilei became a critical addition to the Buckeyes' 2025 cycle following his commitment on National Signing Day on Wednesday. Ohio State flipped Sitanilei from UCLA, where he had been committed since June. USC also take a late run at flipping Sitanilei, but the Buckeyes were able to convince Sitanilei to play out of state.
The Sitanilei File
- Class: 2025
- Size: 6-5/220
- Pos: DE
- School: St. John Bosco (Bellflower, California)
- Composite Rating: ★★★★
- Composite Rank: #348 (#27 EDGE)
He becomes the fifth defensive lineman in Ohio State's 2025 class, joining Zion Grady, Trajen Odom, Jarquez Carter and Maxwell Roy. Sitanilei and Johnson started getting in contact late in the cycle when it became apparent OSU would need a defensive end replacement in the class.
Following the decommitments of Zahir Mathis and London Merritt, his addition was more crucial than ever.
Sitanilei camped at Ohio State in June then took a gameday visit to Ohio Stadium for the Michigan game on Saturday. Johnson and the rest of the Buckeyes' coaching staff were able to seal the commitment on that trip and over the next few days.
He's the second commit from California to join Ohio State's 2025 class, joining four-star wide receiver Phillip Bell.
| Pos | Name | Rating | Rank | Size | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB | DEVIN SANCHEZ | ★★★★★ | #6 NATL | #1 CB | 6-2 | 170 | North Shore (Houston, Texas) |
| QB | TAVIEN ST. CLAIR | ★★★★★ | #7 NATL | #3 QB | 6-4 | 210 | Bellefontaine (Bellefontaine, Ohio) |
| LB | RILEY PETTIJOHN | ★★★★ | #41 NATL | #2 LB | 6-1 | 215 | McKinney (McKinney, Texas) |
| S | FAHEEM DELANE | ★★★★ | #50 NATL | #4 S | 6-2 | 195 | Good Counsel (Olney, Maryland) |
| WR | QUINCY PORTER | ★★★★ | #56 NATL | #9 WR | 6-3 | 190 | Bergen Catholic (Oradell, New Jersey) |
| OT | CARTER LOWE | ★★★★ | #60 NATL | #9 OT | 6-5 | 290 | Whitmer (Toledo, Ohio) |
| DE | ZION GRADY | ★★★★ | #71 NATL | #5 Edge | 6-4 | 235 | Enterprise (Enterprise, Alabama) |
| LB | TARVOS ALFORD | ★★★★ | #103 NATL | #9 LB | 6-2 | 210 | Vero Beach (Vero Beach, Florida) |
| RB | BO JACKSON | ★★★★ | #122 NATL | #6 RB | 6-0 | 205 | Villa Angela-St. Joseph (Cleveland, Ohio) |
| RB | ANTHONY ROGERS | ★★★★ | #148 NATL | #9 RB | 5-8 | 190 | Carver (Montgomery, Alabama) |
| TE | NATE ROBERTS | ★★★★ | #161 NATL | #9 TE | 6-4 | 235 | Washington (Washington, Oklahoma) |
| WR | PHILLIP BELL | ★★★★ | #232 NATL | #28 WR | 6-2 | 195 | Mission Viejo (Mission Viejo, California) |
| DT | JARQUEZ CARTER | ★★★★ | #272 NATL | #27 DL | 6-2 | 284 | Newberry (Newberry, Florida) |
| WR | BODPEGN MILLER | ★★★★ | #292 NATL | #11 ATH | 6-4 | 180 | Ontario (Mansfield, OH) |
| TE | BRODY LENNON | ★★★★ | #322 NATL | #15 TE | 6-4 | 220 | Gates Mills (Gates Mills, OH) |
| WR | DE'ZIE JONES | ★★★★ | #332 NATL | #48 WR | 6-0 | 180 | DePaul Catholic (Wayne, New Jersey) |
| DT | MAXWELL ROY | ★★★★ | #342 NATL | #46 DL | 6-3 | 270 | St. Joseph's Prep School (Philadelphia, PA) |
| DE | EPI SITANILEI | ★★★★ | #348 NATL | #46 DL | 6-5 | 220 | St. John Bosco (Bellflower, CA) |
| DT | TRAJEN ODOM | ★★★★ | #361 NATL | #39 DL | 6-4 | 285 | Weddington (Matthews, North Carolina) |
| S | DESHAWN STEWART | ★★★★ | #369 NATL | #35 S | 6-2 | 185 | DePaul Catholic (Wayne, New Jersey) |
| OL | JAYVON MCFADDEN | ★★★★ | #400 NATL | #26 IOL | 6-5 | 300 | Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, MD) |
| OL | JAKE COOK | ★★★ | #477 NATL | #32 IOL | 6-5 | 295 | Westerville North (Westerville, OH) |
| S | CODY HADDAD | ★★★ | #491 NATL | #28 ATH | 6-1 | 175 | St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio) |
| LB | ELI LEE | ★★★★ | #562 NATL | #58 LB | 6-3 | 230 | Archbishop Hoban (Akron, Ohio) |
| RB | ISAIAH WEST | ★★★ | #684 NATL | #49 RB | 5-11 | 208 | St. Joseph's Prep School (Philadelphia, PA) |
| CB | JORDYN WOODS | ★★★ | #1273 NATL | #117 CB | 6-3 | 175 | Cartersville (Cartersville, GA) |
| Prospect Rating Data: 247Sports Composite | |||||
Sitanilei profiles as powerful pass rusher
Per 247Sports' composite rankings, Sitanilei is considered the No. 348 prospect and the 27th-ranked edge player in the 2025 class.
Competition is no problem for Sitanilei, as he played his prep ball at St. John Bosco, a notorious California powerhouse. His senior season was his first year as a starter for the Braves, as Sitanilei recorded 59 total tackles, six tackles for loss, a sack and four pass deflections.
Sitanilei has a sturdy frame at 6-foot-5, 220 pounds and should have no trouble adding to it once he starts going through Ohio State's weight program. From his film, Sitanilei is a nice blend of speed and power as a pass rusher and has an explosive get off from the line of scrimmage.
Bigger offensive tackles haven't been a problem for Sitanilei this season, as he's pushed them back or gotten around them when necessary. His best fit in college is as an edge rusher, but it wouldn't be totally surprising with his frame if he bulks up some and eventually moves inside.
His physicality is impressive and Sitanilei should be able to be a three-down player because of his ability to make stops in the run game as well. He'll probably need at least a season before he's ready to play multiple meaningful snaps for Johnson and Jim Knowles, but this late bloomer to the recruiting scene could turn into a standout player for the Buckeyes eventually.
