Former Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles distinguished himself as one of the 2026 NFL Draft class’s best prospects at his position after a stellar season in Columbus. Styles further reinforced his draft stock with impressive performances at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last month.
Ryan Day Shares a Hilarious Recruiting Memory of Sonny Styles
In several mock drafts, Styles has been predicted to be a top-10 pick and is in competition with former Buckeyes teammate Arvell Reese to be the first linebacker off the board.
In an interview with “This is Football” host Kevin Clark on Monday, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day revealed a hilarious anecdote involving the former Buckeyes linebacker while recruiting his older brother, Lorenzo Styles Jr.
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“It started when he was in seventh and eighth grade because we were recruiting Lorenzo, his older brother,” Day said. “So they would come in, and I remember it was the last time I ever really played basketball one-on-one. We were in the indoor here, and we were having an event in July right before camp started. Lorenzo is here.
“We went into the basketball area, and we were messing around, and I said, well, ‘Come on, little guy, let’s go play one-on-one.’ He took two dribbles and dunked on me. That was the last time I played basketball, because an eighth grader dunked on me.”
Styles played both football and basketball and helped lead Pickerington Central High School in Pickerington, Ohio, to a state championship in basketball before committing to the Buckeyes as a five-star safety. He later converted to linebacker, where he has excelled and will likely be a first-round pick.
During last week’s segment of “Up & Adams,” Styles revealed his preferred defensive style and which NFL player’s skill set he would like to replicate in the league.
“I think it just depends what coordinator you go to, what scheme you go to,” Styles said. “You know, Kyle Hamilton is one of those guys that can do a lot all over the field. He’s an amazing player. So, I’d love to be in a scheme where I can do multiple roles and help a defense win.
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“I think what’s nice about having a coordinator who’s able to put you in so many different positions and utilize you in that way, it’s helping the entire defense because you become more unpredictable when there’s guys like that on your defense who can do so many different things.”
Last season, Styles earned a PFSN College Linebacker Impact score of 78.6 after tallying 46 solo tackles, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and 1 sack for the dominant Buckeyes defense.
