Lorenzo Styles Jr.’s moment has arrived.
For two seasons and three offseasons, the former wide receiver has worked to refine his craft at cornerback – more specifically, nickelback – and waited his turn behind star nickel Jordan Hancock. Now, with Hancock off to the NFL and Styles impressing throughout spring practice and preseason camp, it’s his turn to start at one of the most demanding positions in Ohio State’s base 4-2-5 defense.
There’s no added urgency for Styles, who trusts the work ethic he’s gained over five years at the college level. But there is added responsibility.
“I've been trying to have urgency ever since I came in, so it's not like there's been a transition with the urgency,” Styles said on Tuesday. “Obviously, as I'm elevating to more snaps, there is a responsibility to becoming a leader, the communication, everything needs to be on point. But, yeah, I've always had that urgency, so I'm just really just going at it day by day.”
Other options exist at nickel for the Buckeyes, but with Styles expected to start Week 1 against No. 1 Texas, an elevation of his play to something resembling what Hancock brought would raise the level of the entire defense.
“He's been doing well,” cornerbacks coach Tim Walton said. “He's competing, he's learning, he's growing. He's smart, he processes the game well, he's a hard worker. He's a student of the game, he puts the time in, he puts in the extra hours. So his work ethic and his commitment to getting it right has been evident. He's had an outstanding training camp, and he's gonna only get better.”
Styles’ transfer from Notre Dame to Ohio State in 2023, joining his young brother Sonny on the Buckeyes, is well-documented to this point. The elder Styles sacrificed a starting receiver job with the Fighting Irish (he had 340 receiving yards in both 2021 and 2022) to come to Columbus as a corner and redshirt as a junior.
“That's just the way the ebbs and flows of the game go. You have a spot, you don't have a spot. I mean, that's what it's like at the next level,” Styles said. “That's what it's like at Ohio State. So at one point, someone had to go earn your spot. I think it's just all part of the process.”
Styles received his first dose of meaningful action last season entering games as a sixth defensive back in dime packages. He played 161 snaps, including 26 during the Buckeyes’ four-game College Football Playoff run, collecting 13 tackles and four pass breakups. Per Pro Football Focus, he allowed just nine receptions on 18 targets in pass coverage, surrendering just 79 yards and no touchdowns. That’s a smothering 4.4 yards per target.
As impressive as those numbers are, it’s a small sample size, and one that mostly occurred in 3rd-and-long situations where Styles didn’t have much guesswork about the depth of routes or opposing play calls. Being an every-down nickel is a new challenge.
“I wasn't going out there on first down, the first snap of the game,” Styles said. “My study was more focused. My role was I was third down, special teams, so when I was studying, my role was more focused on that. But now my studying, it's expanding more. I have to know what they're doing on 1st-and 10, just different situations.”
Part of Hancock’s role in the 2024 defense was to drop back to deep safety in certain coverages, freeing Caleb Downs up to play closer to the line of scrimmage in the middle of the field. Walton and safeties coach Matt Guerrieri weren’t giving away any plans for Styles to do the same, but Styles confirmed he’s been practicing deep coverages, too. Another option would be to spell Styles by placing Downs at nickel to get him closer to the ball, then placing Malik Hartford and Jaylen McClain in the deep safety spots.
“We just try to go through and make those decisions on a week-to-week basis,” Walton said. “I mean, we cross-train a lot of guys so that we're ready for things. But how we go about and operate it, we don't know yet, ‘cause it's all situational. It's all based on who we feel is the best matchup with things.”
Speaking of Guerrieri, Styles has been working with him plenty in preseason camp alongside his usual time spent with Walton. Ohio State wants him as ready as possible for all that can be thrown at him. He’ll need to provide run support, cover shifty slot receivers in space, read and react to the screen game and more – and that’s before diving into any potential deep zone responsibilities.
“With Jordan moving on, it's been a big focus point for us,” Guerrieri said. “Lorenzo's had a great camp, done a really good job. We've got multiple groupings where we've rotated guys in different positions to be able to have depth across the board in the secondary, not just that position. So I'm definitely pleased with the growth from that spot for sure.”
Styles feels strong playing man coverage against slot receivers. Where he’s worked to grow this offseason is in zone, run support and his overall football intelligence.
“I feel good in man-to-man. That's why I got my opportunity last year on the field, I was showing that I can cover well in man-to-man,” Styles said. “So, yeah, that's kind of where I feel most comfortable at. But right now it's just playing the deeper part of the field like you saw Jordan, some of our different looks, you're going to have to play deeper part of the field. So, getting more comfortable in that area and then just expanding my knowledge there.”
With his degree in hand, one he earned alongside his father, Styles’ full focus is on playing his favorite sport and making the most of his last year as a Buckeye.
“I graduated. I ain't got nothing but football,” Styles said. “I'm just putting all the time and putting everything I've got into that right now.”
Ohio State will hope that focus and three years of development pay off for Styles in his final season at the college level.
