Sonny Styles will start at linebacker in Ohio State’s season opener against Akron on Saturday.
Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said Tuesday that Styles had beaten out C.J. Hicks, a fellow junior, to start on the weak side.
“Sonny has separated himself for sure,” Day said.
The announcement was not an unexpected development. Day said last Thursday that Styles was leading the lone position battle on the defensive side of the ball.
Styles debuted as a starter as a sophomore last fall, but he lined up in the secondary as a safety. In spring practice, he moved to linebacker, a position switched to take advantage of his size at 6 feet 4 and 235 pounds.
Even as a safety, Styles lined up near the line of scrimmage and finished with 53 tackles, a total that was tied for the fifth-most among the Buckeyes.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @joeyrkaufman or email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com.
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Publish date : 2024-08-27 05:40:00
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