A recent report suggests the Ohio State Buckeyes have brought on former Alabama Crimson Tide staffer Sam Petitto as their director of football player personnel.
The Ohio State Buckeyes have reportedly added Sam Petitto to their football front-office staff.
Pettito, formerly the director of personnel operations for the Alabama Crimson Tide, will assume the same position with the Buckeyes for the coming season. The hiring of Petitto marks the third time Ohio State has brought someone new into that position over the same number of years.
The Buckeyes have stolen numerous pieces from the Crimson Tide football program over this offseason, including notable players like safety Caleb Downs, quarterback Julian Sayin and offensive lineman Seth McLaughlin. However, Petitto is the first staff member Ohio State has brought over from the Southeastern Conference (SEC) powerhouse.
Petitto’s title with the Buckeyes is expected to be “director of player personnel.” This role will be nothing new for Petitto in terms of function, as it is what he has been doing for the majority of his career.
Working under retired head coach Nick Saban, Petitto was director of personnel operations for the Crimson Tide for each of the last eight seasons. Petitto came to Tuscaloosa after two seasons as the Georgia Bulldogs’ director of player personnel, which was preceded by stints at North Carolina, Grambling State and Southeastern Louisiana.
As mentioned above, Petitto will be the third different person to hold this position at Ohio State in as many years. The Buckeyes hired Zach Grant (current general manager of recruiting for the Cincinnati Bearcats) in 2022, who was followed by Marc Votteler (now the associate athletic director of player personnel for Mississippi State Bulldogs football) in 2023.