LB Alex “Sonny” Styles (Official Thread)

[Buckeneye]

Styles officially in the LB room. JL got himself a beast! 6’4”, 235

It'll be interesting to watch because of the roles S2 might fill both off ball and potentially as a 2pt edge.

I hope he carves out a role where he's most effective early and then is given coaching focus to perfect his craft. I mentioned Micah Parsons in an above post, but there aren't many of those types floating around. Last I could think of would be Khalil Mack when he was in Oakland and maybe some of the earliest days of Von Miller in Denver.

 

[billmac91]

I'm never a fan of reclassification where a kid skips a grade, essentially. He's an absolute freak athlete but he gave away a year of development. He'll be solid this year, but there's a huge difference in 1 year of development from 18 to 19, 19 to 20, etc.

 

[ShowMeBuck]

I'm never a fan of reclassification where a kid skips a grade, essentially. He's an absolute freak athlete but he gave away a year of development. He'll be solid this year, but there's a huge difference in 1 year of development from 18 to 19, 19 to 20, etc.

I don’t view it that way at all.

If he didn’t reclassify there is a greater chance he leaves in 3 years instead of 4 meaning this: where is he going to develop the best as a 17 year old, at his HS or at tOSU?

It’s an easy decision to me.

I stead of focusing on his last year in college, focus instead on his first year (or last year of HS)

 

[billmac91]

I don’t view it that way at all.

If he didn’t reclassify there is a greater chance he leaves in 3 years instead of 4 meaning this: where is he going to develop the best as a 17 year old, at his HS or at tOSU?

It’s an easy decision to me.

I stead of focusing on his last year in college, focus instead on his first year (or last year of HS)

But he essentially missed a year of development.......his goal, and I dont fault him, is to get to the NFL as soon as possible unless he gets a massive NIL deal. That said, if he stuck around for his senior year of HS, he'd have grown into his natural position.

I want to be clear, Sonny reclassifying was a decision for him and his family.....I respect it. From a football perspective, it did not help OSU. Maybe it helped Sonny, but even that is debatable.

It's a side convo, but it's amazing how many True Freshman are entering this 2024 class, and are older than Sonny right now. It's wild.

 

[billmac91]

But he essentially missed a year of development.......his goal, and I dont fault him, is to get to the NFL as soon as possible unless he gets a massive NIL deal. That said, if he stuck around for his senior year of HS, he'd have grown into his natural position.

I want to be clear, Sonny reclassifying was a decision for him and his family.....I respect it. From a football perspective, it did not help OSU. Maybe it helped Sonny, but even that is debatable.

It's a side convo, but it's amazing how many True Freshman are entering this 2024 class, and are older than Sonny right now. It's wild.

I'm gonna sneak this in there just fir fun.....but many 4* recruits in 2024 class are actually 19. Kids held back so they can take advantage of extra year of development. I just wish people had more understanding of how these things work....

 

[Zippercat]

I’m not seeing it as he lost a year at all. What’s almost always one of the most difficult tasks for young LB’s to learn? I’d say one on one pass defense, such as on a TE or RB. Playing at S might give him a big bunch of experience at that,which he can now use at LB.

 

[Captain Buckeye]

I'm never a fan of reclassification where a kid skips a grade, essentially. He's an absolute freak athlete but he gave away a year of development. He'll be solid this year, but there's a huge difference in 1 year of development from 18 to 19, 19 to 20, etc.

Totally agreed.

Just like Quinn he should’ve stayed in school that extra year. Much like Quinn it might end up with Sonny coming back for year 4 anyways.

 

[pnuts34]

 

[ScriptOhio]

Comfort is building for Sonny Styles in his move to linebacker​

If you didn’t see it coming, you should have. Sonny Styles’ move to linebacker was one of the more predictable offseason changes for Ohio State.

When he reclassified to the 2022 class, giving up his senior year at Pickerington Central High School to arrive as a Buckeye early, Styles was already a 6-foot-4, 215-pound safety. He remained at the position in the first two years of his Scarlet and Gray career but knew there would come a day when he would line up closer to the line of scrimmage because it is a more natural fit.

“I mean, there was already a little talk about playing some linebacker before the season even ended,” Styles said last week. “I was already kind of like — I wasn't really learning it. No one was teaching me, but I was getting to know linebacker a little bit just because I knew that I would probably play linebacker at some point.”
.
.
.
continued