Per a report from ThisWeek’s central Ohio high school reporter Dave Purpura, Pickerington (Ohio) Central five-star safety Sonny Styles, who committed to Ohio State less than a month ago on Nov. 13, will be reclassifying and signing with the Buckeyes as a member of the 2022 class, one year ahead of his expected graduation date.
Styles was considered one of the nation’s best in 2023 and will meet the same acclaim in the class of 2022, giving Ohio State a pair of five-star in-state defenders set to sign in the Early Signing Period next week, along with Dayton Archbishop Alter linebacker C.J. Hicks. His 0.9978 rating in the class of 2023 by way of the 247Sports composite earns him the No. 6 spot in that class and would land him at No. 3 in the class of 2022 with a direct transplant.
At 6-4, 215 pounds, Styles is considered one of the nation’s most unique athletes. The son of former Buckeye defensive linemen Lorenzo Styles and the brother of Notre Dame wide receiver Lorenzo Styles Jr., the youngest Styles lined up everywhere for Pickerington Central during its run to the fourth round of the OHSAA Division I playoffs.
He’s listed primarily as a safety, but like Hicks, he’s expected to serve as something of a hybrid for the Buckeyes. Seemingly a perfect fit for new coordinator Jim Knowles, who found success with similar body types at Oklahoma State, Styles could look to be an immediate contributor for the Buckeyes, even as only a high school senior in age. He’s expected enroll at Ohio State in June, after he finishes his high school classes required for graduation.
