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Could Ohio State football's Sonny Styles switch from safety to linebacker?
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- Could Ohio State football's Sonny Styles switch from safety to linebacker?
James Laurinaitis grinned as he took a question about whether he would lobby for Sonny Styles to change positions this offseason.
"Every coach on our defensive staff would lobby for Sonny to come to their room," Laurinaitis said. "He has that versatility."
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Promoted to Ohio State's linebackers coach after spending last season as a graduate assistant, Laurinaitis' position group would receive a significant boost from the arrival of Styles.
Ohio State safety Sonny Styles lines up against Indiana.
But two weeks ahead of the start of spring practice, Styles' potential shift from safety to linebacker remains under evaluation.
Both Laurinaitis and Matt Guerrieri, who was hired to replace Perry Eliano as safeties coach last month , were noncommittal Tuesday about where Styles would end up, suggesting that he would be featured in a variety of roles for the Buckeyes.
Laurinaitis went as far to compare Styles to Isaiah Simmons , a star at Clemson several years ago who was a jack of all trades by lining up at linebacker, safety and slot corner before the Arizona Cardinals took him with the No. 8 selection in the NFL draft in 2020.
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"You're like, 'What really is he?' " Laurinaitis said. "Is he a safety? He's just a weapon."
Styles has proven to be versatile in the secondary. The former Pickerington Central star began last season as the Buckeyes' starting nickel safety before moving over to the boundary side of the field to take over as the strong safety when Lathan Ransom suffered a season-ending leg injury.
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A switch to linebacker would allow the Buckeyes to benefit from the size of the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Styles, who has a larger physical stature than most defensive backs and suggests he could continue to play a more prominent role closer to the line of scrimmage like his father, Lorenzo Styles Sr., who was a linebacker for the Buckeyes in the 1990s.
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More than a third of his snaps as a sophomore were in the trenches. According to data from Pro Football Focus, he played 221 out of 543 snaps on defense along the defensive line or in the box.
Nov 18, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes safety Sonny Styles (6) tackles Minnesota Golden Gophers running back Zach Evans (26) during the first half of their game on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023 at Ohio Stadium.
"Sonny's dynamic in what he can do," Guerrieri said. "He has a unique combination of ability to run, cover, tackle, mentality, size. He's got a lot of things and attributes from there. Without getting into specifics, we're going to take a look at a number of different things for him and put him in the best position to be successful and the team to be successful."
The position coaches said they would weigh putting Styles in the best role for his development with the needs of the rest of the defense.
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The Buckeyes are thinner on experience at linebacker following the departures of Steele Chambers and Tommy Eichenberg .
But Ransom is one of the two returning starting safeties, and Ohio State stockpiled more talent this winter with Caleb Downs transferring from Alabama .
"I've been impressed with the depth across the board," Guerrieri said. "There's guys that have played big roles."
Ohio State safety Sonny Styles (6) walks off the field after the Buckeyes lost to Missouri in the Cotton Bowl.
Guerrieri pointed out that Malik Hartford also made a start as a freshman in place of an injured Josh Proctor against Youngstown State in September.
"There's a balance of what' best for our defense and what's best for Sonny's future," Laurinaitis said. "He's a big human. When you look at his size, he would excel as a linebacker. I also think he has a unique skill set to where he can play out in space like he did last year."
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Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch and can be reached at jkaufman@dispatch.com.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football evaluating roles for safety Sonny Styles
