The former Notre Dame wide receiver is the favorite to step into the nickel back role this season with Jordan Hancock having moved on to the NFL.
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Lorenzo Styles Jr. can certainly say he has had a college football career that can’t be matched by many. The Pickerington native came out of high school as a four-star recruit, committing to Notre Dame as a wide receiver in 2020. After spending two years with the Fighting Irish, hauling in 54 passes for 684 yards and two scores, Styles decided to return home. Styles entered the transfer portal and committed to Ohio State in June 2023.
Despite being a talented wide receiver, Ohio State envisioned Styles as a defensive back. Since the Buckeyes were already loaded at wide receiver, Styles took a rare junior year redshirt, which allowed him to adjust to his new role and soak up all the teachings of defensive backs coach Tim Walton. After appearing in five games during his redshirt season in 2023, Styles knew he was going to have to work hard in 2024 to earn some playing time, considering the amount of returning talent the Buckeyes had in the secondary last season.
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Last season, Styles was on the field for just over 160 snaps, with 26 of them coming in the College Football Playoff. Even though Styles was happy to have earned the playing time he was given during Ohio State’s title run, it must have been tough for him to see his younger brother, Sonny Styles, have a bigger role on the defense over the last two years. Not that he was jealous of what Sonny has been doing on defense, but more because there has to be a bit of a sibling rivalry between the two. While the two are working for a common goal, it’s always fun to have some bragging rights when the family gets together.
Speaking of family, it’s obvious the Styles family bleeds scarlet and gray. This past May, it was a great moment for two members of the family when Lorenzo Styles Sr. and Lorenzo Styles Jr. received their degrees from Ohio State together. Prior to the two Styles men becoming graduates of the university, Lorenzo Jr.’s mother, Laverna, had already earned her degree from the school. In the future, the Styles family will be a quartet of Buckeye graduates, as Sonny Styles is on track to receive his degree in the fall. Sisters Sydney and Tonia both decided to forge their own paths and are graduates of the University of Dayton.
This season, Styles is a favorite to step into the nickel back spot that was vacated by Jordan Hancock, who was selected in April’s NFL Draft. Despite only having a couple of years at defensive back under his belt, there’s no questioning the athletic ability that Styles possesses. Not only did Styles make an immediate impact at Notre Dame out of high school at wide receiver, but he also had enough confidence in his abilities to transfer to Ohio State and move to the other side of the football. Even though Styles might not have quite as much experience at defensive back as some of his teammates whom he will be fighting for playing time, the graduate student undoubtedly has tremendous football instincts.
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Styles, along with fellow defensive backs Caleb Downs and Davison Igbinosun, will be looked at as the elder statesmen in the secondary. The group will not only be welcoming some new contributors into the fold, but the defense as a whole will have a different look to it after Matt Patricia was brought in as the defensive coordinator to replace Jim Knowles, who left for the same position at Penn State. With all of the experience Styles has had at Notre Dame and Ohio State, he’ll be seen as a leader by his teammates.
The move to transfer from Notre Dame after two productive years at wide receiver was certainly a risk, especially since there are plenty of programs that would have welcomed Styles as a receiving option. Instead, Styles decided to bet on himself and return home to not only play with his brother at Ohio State, but also take on the challenge of learning a new position. The move has already paid off since Styles was part of last year’s national championship team. Now he has the chance to make an impact as a starter this season in his final season of college football.