Less than six months after moving from safety to linebacker, Sonny Styles is the favorite to start on Ohio State’s weak-side lineup.
“He’s certainly the leader in the locker room,” coach Ryan Day said Thursday night after practice.
Day did not announce Styles as the starter for next week’s season-opening game against Akron and expressed a desire to consult with defensive coordinator Jim Knowles in the coming days, but indicated that Styles is ahead of CJ Hicks in a competition for the weak-side linebacker position that was in short supply at the start of preseason practice this month.
Of the two juniors, Styles has the advantage in terms of experience, having started at several safety positions last fall and ending up as one of the Buckeyes’ best tacklers.
Styles appeared in all 13 games in 2023 and finished with 53 tackles, fifth among the Buckeyes, while also recording 4.5 tackles for loss of yards and two sacks.
But approaching the line of scrimmage required some time for Styles to get used to it. He now feels more comfortable in his new position in the middle of the defense.
“It’s different closer to the line of scrimmage,” Day said. “He’s better at getting a handle on the offensive linemen and avoiding blocks. He understands communication. The linebackers always have to be involved up front and keep up behind. That’s what he does.”
“He’s excited to play in a game and get an idea of what it’s like, but I can tell you that in practice he plays fast and brutally.”
When reporters attended five of the Buckeyes’ first seven preseason camp practices, Styles spent most of his practice alongside starting middle linebacker Cody Simon, a split that seemed to give him a slight advantage in the most important position battle on the defensive side of the ball.
This trend has continued.
“Sonny has really stepped up and played well,” Day said.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State University football for The Columbus Dispatch. Follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @joeyrkaufman or email him at [email protected].
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