Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles announced Friday he will remain in school for his senior year rather than leave early for the NFL.
“It’s an honor to play for Ohio State,” he wrote in a graphic posted on X. “I’m not done yet. I’m here to stay. Let’s run it back.”
With heavy attrition as a result of maintaining a senior-heavy defense last season, Styles’ return is impactful for the Buckeyes. He joins All-American safety Caleb Downs as one of at least two returning starters on that side of the ball.
He could replace Cody Simon as the starting middle linebacker, a role that involves a handful of pre-snap responsibilities, or stay on the weak side.
A native of Pickerington who graduated a year early from Central in 2022 to enroll at Ohio State, Styles spent his first two seasons with the Buckeyes as a safety.
But with a 6-foot-4 frame, he moved closer to the line of scrimmage during spring practice last year, taking advantage of his size. In his move to linebacker, he made nearly twice as many tackles, finishing with 100 as a junior. Only Simon had more with 112.
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Styles also finished with 10.5 tackles for loss and six sacks, used in blitz packages by defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.
No other starter from the front of Knowles’ 4-2-5 defense is returning to school.
Styles has family ties to Ohio State. His father, Lorenzo Styles Sr., was a linebacker for the Buckeyes during the 1990s, and his older brother, Lorenzo Styles Jr., is a cornerback who transferred to the school from Notre Dame in 2023. Lorenzo Jr. is in line to be a fifth-year senior next fall.
The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the NFL draft was on Jan. 15, but Ohio State and Notre Dame players were given an extension of nine days due to their appearance in the College Football Playoff championship game.
Among the Buckeyes’ draft-eligible juniors, running back Quinshon Judkins had declared earlier Friday, revealing his plans to forgo his senior season, while junior cornerback Davison Igbinosun had not made an announcement by late afternoon.
This story was updated to add new information.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @joeyrkaufman or email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football LB Sonny Styles announces return for senior season
