In the wild world of high school football recruiting, CJ Sanna is quickly becoming the name on everyone’s lips for the 2026 class. This linebacker from Olentangy High School in Lewis Center, Ohio, isn’t just turning heads—he’s capturing hearts with his grit and talent. Now a junior stepping into the spotlight of his recruiting journey, CJ’s got this rare mix of size, speed, and pure football smarts that’s got college coaches across the country dreaming of what he could do for their teams. As of today, February 27, 2025, let’s dive into CJ’s story and see how this Ohio kid is lighting up the 2026 recruiting scene.
The Guy on the Field
Picture this: a 6-foot-3, 225-pound junior barreling through the line, chasing down quarterbacks, and stuffing runs like it’s nothing. That’s CJ Sanna on game day. He’s got the kind of build that makes you go, “Yep, that’s a linebacker,” but it’s his heart and hustle that really set him apart. In his 2024 junior season, CJ was everywhere—97 tackles, 11 of them for a loss, seven sacks, and a couple of fumble recoveries over 11 games, according to MaxPreps. Whether he’s crashing into the backfield or chasing down a receiver, he plays with this fire that’s impossible to miss. Michigan State’s defensive coordinator Joe Rossi put it perfectly when he called CJ “long, athletic, and smart”—the kind of player who seems built for today’s fast, tricky college game.
The Recruiting Buzz
CJ’s not just a local hero anymore—he’s a national name. The recruiting folks are all over him, and it’s fun to watch his star rise. ESPN and On3 see him as a four-star kid, ranking him around No. 250 in their top-300 lists for 2026. Meanwhile, 247Sports and Rivals give him three stars but still put him high up as the No. 26 or 27 linebacker in the country and a top-20 player in Ohio. The numbers might differ, but everyone agrees: CJ’s on his way up, and by the time his senior year rolls around, he could be shining even brighter.
Colleges Come Calling
Back in September 2024, CJ’s phone started lighting up with offers, and it hasn’t stopped since. Iowa State was the first big Power 4 school to say, “We want you,” followed by Iowa, Purdue, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Michigan State jumped in too, and then Minnesota got in on the action after a chat with their coach Mariano Sori-Marin in January 2025. Smaller schools like Liberty and Toledo chimed in early, but the real game-changer came on January 31, 2025, when Ohio State—the team every Ohio kid grows up watching—offered him a spot. That’s when things got real.
Ohio State’s offer hit close to home, literally and figuratively. CJ’s from their backyard, and the Buckeyes love keeping Ohio’s best right where they belong. Posts on X from recruiting gurus like Steve Wiltfong and Alex Gleitman are buzzing with Ohio State vibes, and On3’s giving them a whopping 97.4% chance of landing him. Plus, CJ’s teammate, four-star safety Kaden Gebhardt, is also on Ohio State’s radar—imagine the two of them sticking together in Columbus. But CJ’s keeping his options open—he’s got an official visit to Wisconsin lined up for June 12, 2025, and four unofficial trips planned to Ohio State, with Iowa State, Michigan State, and Minnesota still hanging around, hoping to steal his heart.
Why Ohio State Feels Like Home
For Ohio State, CJ’s the kind of player they dream about. Under head coach Ryan Day, they’ve got a knack for snagging Ohio’s toughest, most athletic kids, especially linebackers who can do it all. CJ fits that mold perfectly, and when he visited Columbus in January 2025 to celebrate their national championship win, you could tell it clicked. The offer came soon after, and it’s hard not to picture him in scarlet and gray, joining stars like five-star receiver Chris Henry Jr. and four-star defensive back Jakob Weatherspoon in their 2026 class. Keeping CJ in-state wouldn’t just be a win for the team—it’d be a point of pride for Buckeye Nation.
What’s Next for CJ?
Spring and summer 2025 are about to get wild for CJ. He’s got camps to show off at, visits to take, and a senior season ahead that could turn heads even more. That trip to Wisconsin in June? It’s a chance to see what life could be like outside Ohio. Those four stops at Ohio State? They’re a sign he’s seriously thinking about staying home. Wherever he lands, one thing’s for sure: CJ’s got the talent and drive to make a mark. If he keeps balling out like he did last fall, he might just lock in that fourth star across the board and climb even higher up the recruiting ranks.
For now, CJ’s still weighing his options, soaking it all in. Ohio State’s got the edge, no doubt—his size, his stats, and that hometown pull make it feel almost meant to be. But this is CJ’s story, and he’s writing it play by play. Whether he stays in Columbus or takes his talents elsewhere, this Ohio kid’s journey is one we’ll all be watching as 2026 rolls closer.