Following Reset, Sonny Styles Ready To Chase Another Title

Sonny Styles may not be starting over, but he knows this Ohio State team is.

That understanding is just part of what makes him one of the Buckeyes’ key leaders this season.

Styles, now a senior linebacker who is headed into his third year as a starter, finished second on last year’s team with 100 tackles. Styles is one of just two seniors who are returning starters on this Ohio State defense, which means he has been relied upon throughout winter workouts and spring practice to be one of the leaders of this team.

The common question about leadership is whether a player leads vocally or by example.

“I try to do a little bit of everything,” Styles said this spring. “It’s not like you’ve got to put this persona on of what a leader is supposed to look like. Just be who you are. I think you just be who you are, and if you’re that kind of person, you naturally lead. So sometimes I can be vocal when needed. A lot of times I like to lead by example.”

Styles’ leadership approach also depends on what a younger teammate might need.

“Sometimes I like to put my arm around guys just to ask them how they’re doing,” he explained. “I know when I was a younger guy, people did that to me and I know what that feels like. It feels good when you’re having a hard day and having Jack Sawyer come up to me and be like, ‘Hey bro, you good?’ Or having Kamryn Babb come up to me when I’m a freshman and be like, ‘Hey bro, you good?’ So I know that’s what you need sometimes. The guys that came before me and showed me how to lead are just helping me lead now.”

Leading A New Path

The Buckeyes aren’t just replacing eight defensive starters, they’re also replacing their defensive coordinator.

Jim Knowles left for Penn State following OSU’s national title run. Head coach Ryan Day replaced Knowles with Matt Patricia. Patricia spent most of his coaching career in the NFL, but the new perspective has Styles excited about what’s next.

“I don’t know, somehow, I think new is refreshing,” Styles said. “Having Coach Patricia has been great. The way he teaches the game, the way he teaches the defense has been great, so I’m excited to rebuild it again. I think it’s a good thing that players on this team are able to understand that this team has to make their own story. You have to rebuild from step one. We won the National Championship last year, we have to hold on to that forever, but we gotta rebuild and create our own story and start from ground zero.”

Finishing Touches

While this season may be a reset for the team itself, that is not the case for Styles himself. He is not rebuilding his linebacker reputation, but rather he’s putting the finishing touches on it.

Last year was his first year playing linebacker full time, which means last year was often a learning experience. Styles could have left for the NFL after last season and with his athletic profile, he would have done just fine.

Instead, he decided to return and now he’s ready to make the most of it.

“I feel like I didn’t reach my ceiling of where I wanted to be in terms of college,” Styles said. “Obviously when you leave here, you want to keep getting better, but I feel like I had more to do here. And once I kind of figured that out and realized that it was a big opportunity to come back and try to do it again, that’s exciting. Coach Patricia talked about — obviously he’s won a lot of Super Bowls in the NFL — he talks about once you win, it’s like a reset, now you’re just on the chase again. So that was an exciting feeling and that’s what I’m excited to do this year.”

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