Brett Ludwiczak
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Players to Watch: Lorenzo Styles Jr. working for a bigger role in the Ohio State secondary
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images
The Pickerington Central product will have the first crack at replacing Jordan Hancock at the nickelback position.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the Buckeyes we expect to excel this season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all our “Players to Watch” articles here.
Lorenzo Styles Jr. has had quite an interesting college career so far. The Pickerington Central product was a four-star recruit coming out of high school, originally committing to Notre Dame as a wide receiver.
Heading to South Bend felt a little strange since Styles’ father played for the Buckeyes from 1992 to 1994 before playing in the NFL for six seasons. Styles’ mother also attended Ohio State, and younger brother Sonny was part of the 2022 recruiting class of the Buckeyes.
After graduating from Pickerington Central in 2020, Styles didn’t take long to make some noise at wide receiver for the Fighting Irish. In 2021, Styles caught 24 passes for 344 yards, followed by a 2022 season that saw him grab 30 passes for 340 yards.
Despite Notre Dame falling to Ohio State in the 2022 season opener, Styles had a moment he’ll never forget, hauling in a 54-yard pass under the lights at Ohio Stadium. While Styles probably grew up thinking he would be making big plays at the iconic college football stadium, he likely didn’t imagine he would be doing so as a member of the visiting team.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26018211/usa_today_19242353.jpg "Syndication: South Bend Tribune")
Michael Caterina / USA TODAY NETWORK
Despite becoming a trusted option at receiver in the Notre Dame offense, the lure of returning home was too much for Styles to ignore. In June 2023, Styles announced he was not only transferring to Ohio State, he would also be moving from wide receiver to defensive back.
With the incredible depth the Buckeyes have at wide receiver, it was determined that Styles would have a chance to make a bigger impact on the field in the secondary. Since he would be switching positions, Styles used his redshirt during the 2023 season, so he could become more familiar with life on defense and what would be expected of him when he did end up taking the field.
While Styles didn’t see a ton of playing time last season, every one of the 161 snaps he played over 16 games was important since there was a bigger plan in place. With Jordan Hancock holding down the nickelback role in the secondary, last year was all about Styles getting his feet wet at the position as he shadowed the future NFL defensive back.
Since Ohio State knew they would have to replace Hancock heading into the 2025 season, Styles would essentially be in an apprenticeship program, which would allow him to have first crack at filling the vacated spot.
Styles finished the 2024 season with 16 tackles and four passes defensed. As if just being able to play for the Buckeyes on the same defense as younger brother Sonny wasn’t thrilling enough, Lorenzo was part of an Ohio State team that won the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff, ironically enough winning the title against the program where he started his college football career.
The Styles brothers were two of the four Buckeyes that attended Pickerington Central on last year’s title team.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26018214/2190747984.jpg "COLLEGE FOOTBALL: DEC 21 CFP First-Round - Tennessee at Ohio State")
Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
If Styles is able to continue his growth at defensive back, the Ohio State secondary could be one of the top units in the country this year. The group features safety Caleb Downs, who figures to be a top 10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, along with cornerbacks Davison Igbinosun and Jermaine Mathews Jr. Sitting behind those starting cornerbacks are underclassmen Devin Sanchez and Aaron Scott Jr., who figure to replace Igbinosun and Mathews as starters following this season.
What is going to determine how much playing time Styles sees this year is how much growth Sanchez and Scott show in preseason camp. Sanchez is definitely the wild card of the group since he was one of the top defensive back recruits in the country and many are projecting him to be a breakout star despite not yet having played a snap in a college football game.
If Sanchez is able to impress the coaching staff early, Styles could see his snaps cut into since Matt Patricia, Tim Walton, and Matt Guerrieri will look for ways to get Sanchez involved on the field.
Along with the veteran experience he possesses, one thing that sets Styles apart from the other cornerbacks on the team is he has an understanding of what opposing receivers are thinking and the tactics they are going to use since he spent two years as a wide receiver at the college level.
With his previous experience on the other side of the football, Styles should be able to anticipate better what he’ll see from receivers he is going to be tasked to cover. Not only will Styles use that knowledge to try and slow down opponents, he can also give his teammates pointers on what they might see thrown at them.
No matter what happens this year with Styles and Ohio State, the defensive back will have a college career that many players could only dream of. Styles has been able to play for two of the most prestigious programs in college football history, winning a national title against the team he started his college career with.
Along with winning a championship, Styles was able to do it with his brother. By doing so, Lorenzo and Sonny were able to accomplish a feat their father wasn’t able to at Ohio State. Although, at least for now Lorenzo Styles Sr. can remind his sons that he has a Super Bowl ring and they don’t yet.
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Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images
The Pickerington Central product will have the first crack at replacing Jordan Hancock at the nickelback position.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the Buckeyes we expect to excel this season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all our “Players to Watch” articles here.
Lorenzo Styles Jr. has had quite an interesting college career so far. The Pickerington Central product was a four-star recruit coming out of high school, originally committing to Notre Dame as a wide receiver.
Heading to South Bend felt a little strange since Styles’ father played for the Buckeyes from 1992 to 1994 before playing in the NFL for six seasons. Styles’ mother also attended Ohio State, and younger brother Sonny was part of the 2022 recruiting class of the Buckeyes.
After graduating from Pickerington Central in 2020, Styles didn’t take long to make some noise at wide receiver for the Fighting Irish. In 2021, Styles caught 24 passes for 344 yards, followed by a 2022 season that saw him grab 30 passes for 340 yards.
Despite Notre Dame falling to Ohio State in the 2022 season opener, Styles had a moment he’ll never forget, hauling in a 54-yard pass under the lights at Ohio Stadium. While Styles probably grew up thinking he would be making big plays at the iconic college football stadium, he likely didn’t imagine he would be doing so as a member of the visiting team.
Despite becoming a trusted option at receiver in the Notre Dame offense, the lure of returning home was too much for Styles to ignore. In June 2023, Styles announced he was not only transferring to Ohio State, he would also be moving from wide receiver to defensive back.
With the incredible depth the Buckeyes have at wide receiver, it was determined that Styles would have a chance to make a bigger impact on the field in the secondary. Since he would be switching positions, Styles used his redshirt during the 2023 season, so he could become more familiar with life on defense and what would be expected of him when he did end up taking the field.
While Styles didn’t see a ton of playing time last season, every one of the 161 snaps he played over 16 games was important since there was a bigger plan in place. With Jordan Hancock holding down the nickelback role in the secondary, last year was all about Styles getting his feet wet at the position as he shadowed the future NFL defensive back.
Since Ohio State knew they would have to replace Hancock heading into the 2025 season, Styles would essentially be in an apprenticeship program, which would allow him to have first crack at filling the vacated spot.
Styles finished the 2024 season with 16 tackles and four passes defensed. As if just being able to play for the Buckeyes on the same defense as younger brother Sonny wasn’t thrilling enough, Lorenzo was part of an Ohio State team that won the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff, ironically enough winning the title against the program where he started his college football career.
The Styles brothers were two of the four Buckeyes that attended Pickerington Central on last year’s title team.
If Styles is able to continue his growth at defensive back, the Ohio State secondary could be one of the top units in the country this year. The group features safety Caleb Downs, who figures to be a top 10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, along with cornerbacks Davison Igbinosun and Jermaine Mathews Jr. Sitting behind those starting cornerbacks are underclassmen Devin Sanchez and Aaron Scott Jr., who figure to replace Igbinosun and Mathews as starters following this season.
What is going to determine how much playing time Styles sees this year is how much growth Sanchez and Scott show in preseason camp. Sanchez is definitely the wild card of the group since he was one of the top defensive back recruits in the country and many are projecting him to be a breakout star despite not yet having played a snap in a college football game.
If Sanchez is able to impress the coaching staff early, Styles could see his snaps cut into since Matt Patricia, Tim Walton, and Matt Guerrieri will look for ways to get Sanchez involved on the field.
Along with the veteran experience he possesses, one thing that sets Styles apart from the other cornerbacks on the team is he has an understanding of what opposing receivers are thinking and the tactics they are going to use since he spent two years as a wide receiver at the college level.
With his previous experience on the other side of the football, Styles should be able to anticipate better what he’ll see from receivers he is going to be tasked to cover. Not only will Styles use that knowledge to try and slow down opponents, he can also give his teammates pointers on what they might see thrown at them.
No matter what happens this year with Styles and Ohio State, the defensive back will have a college career that many players could only dream of. Styles has been able to play for two of the most prestigious programs in college football history, winning a national title against the team he started his college career with.
Along with winning a championship, Styles was able to do it with his brother. By doing so, Lorenzo and Sonny were able to accomplish a feat their father wasn’t able to at Ohio State. Although, at least for now Lorenzo Styles Sr. can remind his sons that he has a Super Bowl ring and they don’t yet.
Continue reading...