Sonny Styles and Lorenzo Styles Jr. have generated headlines at the NFL Scouting Combine this week.
Sonny is the same height as Calvin Johnson (6-foot-5), three pounds lighter than Derrick Henry (244), jumps as high as Nate Robinson (43.5”), runs the same speed as Bijan Robinson (4.46) and leaps the same distance as Julio Jones (135”). Lorenzo, meanwhile, is the fastest Buckeye in combine history at 4.27 seconds, breaking Curtis Samuel and Parris Campbell’s previous record of 4.31.
Nearly 32 years before Sonny and Lorenzo made names for themselves at Ohio State and the NFL Combine, their father, Lorenzo Styles Sr., was a standout linebacker for the Buckeyes. In other words, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree — especially when you consider Styles’ knack for dominating opponents with elite athleticism.
Proud dad at 2026 NFL Combine. #ThemStylesMen #BuckeyeLegacy pic.twitter.com/AAc9ayWhBm
— WeRStyles (@WeRStyles) February 28, 2026
Perhaps Styles’ best performance at Ohio State came in the 1994 edition of The Game, when the 6-foot-1, 245-pound bulldozer recorded a team-best 12 tackles with two tackles for loss in a 22-6 win for the Buckeyes.
Entering the matchup, Ohio State was looking to snap a frustrating winless streak against Michigan, as the Buckeyes hadn’t beaten the Wolverines since 1987. John Cooper, who was 0-5-1 in his first six games against “That Team Up North,” leaned on Eddie George (27 carries, 81 yards, one touchdown) and Styles to capture his first victory in the storied rivalry.
Ohio State’s win over Michigan pushed the team to 9-3 in the regular season. Six of its wins came over ranked opponents — No. 20 Fresno State, No. 23 Pitt, No. 20 Houston, No. 20 Northwestern, No. 24 Purdue and No. 15 Michigan — while its losses were to No. 18 Washington, No. 17 Illinois and No. 1 Penn State. (That’s a gauntlet similar to what Ohio State will face in 2026.)
The Buckeyes ended their year with a 24-17 loss to No. 6 Alabama in the Orange Bowl. Styles was also one of Ohio State’s top contributors in that game, collecting seven tackles with one tackle for loss.
Styles, who led the Buckeyes with 117 tackles in 1993 and 132 in 1994, went on to play six seasons in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons (1995–96) and St. Louis Rams (1997–2000). He and his Ohio State teammate, Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive tackle Orlando Pace, won a Super Bowl title with the Rams as part of “The Greatest Show on Turf” in Styles’ final NFL season.
