With cornerback being one of the most technical positions in football, it stands to reason that the technical side of the game is where a player transitioning to the spot would struggle most early on.
Lorenzo Styles Jr. is no exception. After spending two seasons as a wide receiver at Notre Dame, the junior entered the transfer portal with the intention of guarding the spot he used to play. His last barrier to entry on the defensive side, he feels, is learning the techniques it takes to be a lockdown cornerback.
But he doesn’t plan on merely sitting and learning for long.
“I think if I keep working and keep staying on the track that I’m on, I will see the field this year,” Styles said.
Even with three cornerbacks positioned to play major roles in front of Styles – Denzel Burke, Jordan Hancock and Davison Igbinosun – the former Fighting Irish flanker plans to push his way onto the field by mastering his new craft in 2023.
“Especially in press (coverage), I’m using a lot of my athleticism to put myself in position,” Styles said. “Over time I need to develop the technique to really be there and get my hands on the ball even more.”
Styles' athleticism and zone coverage instincts have already made an impression on his coaches.
“I like Lorenzo. He’s a really good young man and he breaks on the ball well,” Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said. “He sees things, ABCs, crack blocks by receivers and replacing — he’s got some real natural skill back there.”
“I think if I keep working and keep staying on the track that I’m on, I will see the field this year."– Lorenzo Styles Jr.
Natural could probably be translated to raw in Burke’s mind, who answered “definitely” when asked if it was easy to tell that Styles had just swapped positions.
That being said, he’s seen a lot of growth from the brother of fellow Ohio State defensive back Sonny Styles.
“He’s doing better,” Burke said. “He’s getting a lot better. I know he just transitioned from receiver. He’s learning a lot from the group and he’s making us proud.”
Styles has some experience playing cornerback from his days at Pickerington Central High School. Ohio State’s coaching staff recruited him as a cornerback, but Styles’ initial choice to play offense is what led him in part to select Notre Dame in his original recruitment. Once he entered the transfer portal, however, the Buckeyes won the second battle for his services.
The likely starting duo of Burke and Hancock have been big influences on Styles’ development to this point, he said. The mental switch of going from receiver, where big plays can erase the memories of mistakes in the public eye, to a spot where you’re often remembered most for the big plays you allow is one that the duo has helped Styles embrace, he said.
“They’ve really been on the field, they know what it’s like to be in a game at that position,” Styles said. “Corner’s a little bit different. You could be having a great game, covering the whole entire game and get bombed on one time, you’re going to get a lot of hate for that. You have to go with the highs and lows of the position.”
While he fine-tunes his technique and masters his mentality, Styles will look for playing time early in the year on special teams.
“I’ve been a special teams player before at Notre Dame,” Styles said. “So I think just using the skill that I had there, I’ve shown that I can be a great gunner (on punts), I did kickoff return there. So just being able to help the team out any way I can.”
Styles returned three kickoffs at Notre Dame, his longest being a 37-yarder against USC last November. His speed could also enable him to play on kickoff coverage.
Despite his ultimate decision to swap sides of the ball, Styles doesn’t regret playing wideout at Notre Dame, where he caught 54 passes for 684 yards and two touchdowns across two seasons as a starter for the Fighting Irish. He feels it helped him glean what offenses are trying to do, which will add to his instincts as a defensive back.
“It actually really helped me, because I’ve been understanding a lot of the concepts the offense has been trying to run,” Styles said. “I’ve been on the other side of it before. Then also, trying to be a returner, having those skills, having the ball in my hands. There’s not many defensive guys back there trying to return punts or kickoffs.”
That experience is a boost for him in zone coverage, Styles said, where he can read and react to whether a receiver is running a flat or a curl or a dig. It’s just a matter of learning man-to-man coverage and general footwork and hand placement techniques, especially how to bump and run.
Depth is always important for the long grind of a football season, and if Styles can develop the finer details of playing cornerback, he has the athleticism to provide quality support for the Buckeyes in 2023. Perhaps he could even see the field for meaningful defensive snaps by the end of the year.
