Quick Hits: James Laurinaitis Says He Has Three Starting Linebackers in Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese and Payton Pierce

Arvell Reese and Payton Pierce have both earned the right to be starters alongside Sonny Styles, Laurinaitis says, and he’s treating them all like starters as such.

“Whether we're three backers or two backers, I think they're all just starters and they're pushing each other in that way,” Laurinaitis said Wednesday.

Each of Laurinaitis’ three starting linebackers met with the media alongside their position coach on Wednesday, and we’ve got video as well as a roundup of the most notable comments from all four of their interview sessions.

James Laurinaitis

“It's 1 vs. 2. It's Texas. It's Ohio State. It's the history. It's the burnt orange. It's the scarlet and gray. What else do you want? All the eyes are on it.”– James Laurinaitis on his excitement for the season opener

• Laurinaitis said he views all of Styles, Reese and Pierce as starters even though Ohio State typically plays only two linebackers in its base defense. He expects them all to rotate and play a lot.
• Laurinaitis said Reese’s “violence and ability to run” make him a “freakish” athlete. “He can do a lot of different things that you dream of when you get to the linebacker position.”
• Laurinaitis compared Pierce’s toughness to former Ohio State linebacker Tommy Eichenberg. “You'd be surprised if he got through a practice without chips off of his face mask. And obviously that's the way that I think the LB position should be played.”
• Freshman linebacker Riley Pettijohn, who lost his black stripe on Tuesday, “has shown really tremendous growth” since spring, Laurinaitis said. Laurinaitis said Pettijohn still has “some mental things he's got to improve on,” but he expects Pettijohn to see playing time from Week 1, even if only on special teams.
• Laurinaitis also likes what he’s seen from Garrett Stover, TJ Alford and Eli Lee so far in camp. “I really love my room, honestly.”
• Laurinaitis said he’s known Matt Patricia since he worked out for the New England Patriots as a draft prospect. “Must have been a bad workout because he didn't draft me,” Laurinaitis joked. “But I think he's just so smart … he's really helped our players as they get lined up and they identify what's the offense telling you when they line up.”

Sonny Styles

“I feel like I’m reacting faster right now, playing faster. I think it’s showing up on tape. You can see me flying around the field. It just comes with more reps, more confidence.”– Sonny Styles on becoming more comfortable at linebacker

• Styles said Reese has improved exponentially this offseason, mainly because of his mental approach to the game. “He’s always had the physical attributes, but him being able to understand the game and play fast and use those physical attributes – I think sometimes we don’t understand the game, and it can hold you back and you’re not able to show your true potential. He’s having a great camp.”
• Styles said Reese should have been on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List. “He’s an amazing athlete. We’ve got a lot of guys that should have been on there, but he’s a crazy athlete. You can go look at the numbers, but it is what it is, I guess.” Later, Styles said Reese is “the kind of guy who can basically do anything on the field, whatever you want, I mean, he could be one of the top defensive players in the country.”
• As much as Styles praised Reese, he also praised Payton Pierce: “Payton’s awesome. I think our linebacker room – we got a lot of great players, and Payton’s one of them. He’s smart. He’s reliable. He’s a great football player. He’s probably one of the best tacklers on the team. He just has a great understanding of the defense for him being so young. I think his knowledge of the game is like that of someone who’s a senior or junior that’s been playing for three, four years. He’s going to help us a lot this year.”

Arvell Reese

“When you think of me, you would think of a bullet. A Silver Bullet. I’m really a bullet. I’m always around the ball. That’s how I like to play.”– Arvell Reese on how he'd describe his game

• On how he’ll be a difference maker in 2025: “I feel like I'm always around the ball, I'm sideline to sideline. I think I can do a lot of stuff on the field too, a lot of different things.”
• On new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia: “I love Coach Patricia. The way he utilizes me, he’s got me in a lot of different roles, a little bit more free. He gives us a lot more freedom.”
• Reese said that he’s “learned a lot” from Styles. “It's more so just like off the field with how he prepares for games, how he prepares for practice, how intentional he is in meetings, so yeah, Sonny is a great person.”

Payton Pierce

“It’s pretty exciting, we’re going to have a lot of family members there. Got all my buddies from back home texting me every day. A lot of people will be there … it’s been a lot of horns down emojis recently.”– Texas resident Payton Pierce on what it will be like playing against the Longhorns week one

• Pierce said he’s confident playing in the box which allows Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles play more open.
• Pierce says playing alongside athletic standouts like Reese and Styles makes his life a little easier because he knows they can cover their man and make plays. “They get all the fun stuff, sometimes it’s a little boring for me.”
• Sonny Styles has emerged as the leader of the defense according to Pierce and is “one of the biggest, fastest, strongest dudes we have.”