Buckeye Freshman Epi Sitanilei Is An ‘Advanced’ Pass Rusher

One of the more difficult parts of recruiting for an assistant coach is moving on from a prospect that they like because there’s simply not enough room for them in a particular class.

That was the situation Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson found himself in last year when it came to St. John Bosco defensive end Epi Sitanilei.

Sitanilei was part of the 2025 recruiting cycle, but by the time he was ready to make a decision, the Buckeyes had no room. They had commitments from defensive ends Zion Grady, Zahir Mathis, and London Merritt.

Every position group basically has a number they have to hit and they generally can’t go above it because spots are limited.

“I loved him in camp, but we had three ends already committed,” Johnson told Buckeye Huddle recently. “And I talked to his mom and dad, and I said, ‘I’d love to offer because I think you have a chance. But we’ll stay in touch. If something changes, you’ll be the first phone call.'”

Sitanilei committed to UCLA in late June, about one week after Grady committed to Ohio State.

As it often goes in recruiting, however, both Mathis and Merritt decommitted from the Buckeyes in late November of last year.

“And as soon as it happened, I called him,” Johnson recalled. “He needed to talk to his mom and dad. I said, ‘You need to talk to UCLA to make sure you’re good.’ He said, ‘Coach, I want to visit.’ And he came on campus and loved it. His mom loved it. 

“We presented something for him that showed he could walk in and have an opportunity to be special. He’s a great kid. Really great kid. Grounded. And he said, ‘Coach, this is where I wanted to be from day one.’ And so that was a great get for us to be honest with you.”

Listed at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, Epi Sitanilei certainly looks the part, but what Johnson likes about him goes beyond the frame. His skill set is going to give him a chance to get on the field early this year for the Buckeyes.

“Great pass rush skills. Just a very natural pass rusher,” Johnson said. “He can bend, use his hands. Things that you don’t see really from a high school kid that can come in that early and be that advanced. And so he’s got some skill set that will allow him to walk in and really challenge. Now, will he get bigger and get stronger, yeah. But he’s certainly got some pass rush skills that are unique.”

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