Ohio State’s James Laurinaitis gives promising update on Sonny Styles after the position change

Ohio State’s defense hopes to take another jump forward in year No. 3 under Jim Knowles in 2023.

One change within the defense that is standing out isn’t a new player, but a player that has made a position change.

After previously playing safety, Sonny Styles is now a linebacker for the Buckeyes and is already fitting right in.

“I think Sonny has made a really smooth transition to linebacker," Ohio State linebackers coach James Laurinaitis said recently. "He’s so used to breaking and going from safety, you have to slow him down. He’s so explosive. He’s really gotten his footwork under control, but it’s a never-ending process. It’s been a really smooth transition for Sonny.”

Last season, Styles had 53 tackles and a pair of sacks at safety for the Buckeyes. He is a player that has continued to grow since stepping on campus and the move to linebacker was something that looked inevitable.

Now in his third year with the Buckeyes, Styles could be a player that fully breaks out. He’s shown plenty of solid play over the last two years but bringing his athletes ms and build to the linebacker position could mean great things. Styles has the ability to match up well in coverage but could become a factor in getting after the quarterback too.

After losing Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers to the NFL, Styles stepping in and being a major contributor at linebacker could be the best possible outcome.