Two brothers will stand on opposite sidelines when No. 2 Ohio State opens its season against No. 5 Notre Dame Saturday at Ohio Stadium.
Wearing blue and gold will be sophomore Notre Dame wide receiver Lorenzo Styles Jr., while freshman Ohio State safety Sonny Styles will don scarlet and gray. It’ll be the first time Lorenzo and Sonny will be on the same football field in two years, dating back to when Lorenzo was a senior and Sonny was a sophomore at Pickerington Central High School, about 30 minutes away from The Shoe. Only instead of teammates, they’ll be temporary rivals instead, both playing on teams with College Football Playoff aspirations.
The Styles family has attended numerous games over the years to support both Lorenzo and Sonny, but it’s never been like what they’ll experience Saturday.
“It’s been full of activity, to say the least,” their father Lorenzo Styles told Eleven Warriors with a chuckle when asked what his week has entailed.
Ten members of the Styles family are expected to attend Saturday’s game. Some will sit in the Notre Dame section and others will sit on Ohio State’s side so both sons are represented. Pregame decorations have already started, as Laverna Styles – Lorenzo Sr.’s wife and Sonny and Lorenzo Jr.’s mother – was gifted a wreath by one of her coworkers earlier this week, with one half representing Ohio State and the other representing Notre Dame. What the Styles family will wear on gameday is still to be determined, though.
Getting my decorations ready #lovemywreath pic.twitter.com/SyyZbgTrtX
— WeRStyles (@WeRStyles) August 30, 2022
“My wife is trying to take care of the dress attire for Saturday,” Styles Sr. said. “We’re trying to be careful because when you get the parents’ passes and all that sort of stuff, they have rules on what kind of stuff you can have on. So we’re just going to be careful and probably wear something conservative.”
Saturday will be an emotional day for the elder Styles, who will watch his two sons play in the stadium he called home from 1992-94, when he was a standout linebacker for Ohio State before being drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 1995. He also coached both in high school, serving as Pickerington Central’s defensive backs coach for several seasons.
Time passes too fast. Wish I had a pause button #2020 pic.twitter.com/kgzjlvwb52
— WeRStyles (@WeRStyles) August 25, 2022
“Really just to have the family in that atmosphere with the boys part of that (will be special),” Styles said. “I’ve had my own share of big games of being in big moments like that. It’s an opportunity for both of them to really be in that moment. I think it’s going to be a great feeling for them.”
Both Sonny and Lorenzo Jr. know the implications of Saturday night, as the loser sees their team’s College Football Playoff hopes suddenly cling to life support after Week 1 of the college football season. But that hasn’t created a rivalry in the Styles household.
“Not really,” Styles Sr. said. “Both of them want to succeed, but they’re not going to talk about it to the point to where they’ll start any type of rivalry or anything. They’re going to play hard, and if they have to deal with each other (Saturday), they have to deal with each other.”
In an interview with ESPN, Lorenzo Jr. said he’s looking forward to being on the same field as his brother once again, and competing against him should the situation merit it.
“I’m super excited,” Styles Jr. said. “It’s really a big blessing to have the opportunity to play with him at the next level. Really, we haven’t played with each other in a little bit, so I’m excited.
“We always talked about playing at the next level. We always had big dreams. Knocking some of them down day by day and seeing them unfold is pretty amazing.”
While the potential brother-against-brother matchup is an appetizer that will surely make television networks salivate, Lorenzo and Sonny are in different stages in their collegiate careers.
As a freshman last season, Lorenzo hauled in 24 receptions for 344 receiving yards with one touchdown for the Fighting Irish. He figures to be one of Notre Dame’s primary options at wide receiver this season and has already been announced as a starter for Saturday via the school’s depth chart.
“I’m excited for him,” Styles Sr. said of Lorenzo Jr. “He puts in all the hard work and he stays dedicated on what he’s trying to do and what he’s trying to accomplish. Hopefully the results will pay off for him starting on Saturday.”
Sonny decided to forgo his senior season at Pickerington Central and enroll at Ohio State early, participating in his first preseason camp with Ohio State at just 17 years old. So far, so good, though, as Styles was the most recent Ohio State freshman to shed his black stripe, meaning he’s officially considered a Buckeye.
“He loves football,” Styles Sr. said of Sonny. “Camp was good for him, and he’s definitely excited to get his stripe off and officially become part of the brotherhood. It’s an exciting time for him, he lost it just in time for the game.”
Sonny has drawn rave reviews from Ohio State’s coaching staff in preseason camp, even being called a potential “secret weapon” for the Buckeyes’ defense by defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.
High praise from OSU’s first-year “head coach of the defense” aside, Styles is not projected to be a starter Saturday, and Knowles has repeatedly said he doesn’t like rotating much in the back seven. But even at 17 years old, the 6-foot-4, 222-pound playmaker is a freak athlete who shows all the measurables needed to contribute early in his collegiate career. So might Sonny see a few snaps on Saturday?
“That’s above my paygrade right now,” Styles Sr. said. “But the coach in me is saying that he’s a freshman and he’s 17 years old. It’s also a big game. Not that he hasn’t been in big games because he’s played in state championship games and stuff like that, but this is a whole different stage. I mean, jobs are on the line.”
Saturday will mark the first of two guaranteed meetings the Styles brothers will have in their collegiate careers, with Ohio State traveling to South Bend next season for another regular season non-conference game. Being able to play against your brother collegiately twice in a high-profile setting is a luxury most athletes aren’t afforded. It’s an opportunity neither is likely to take lightly.
“Our high school coach did a good job of teaching the boys how to appreciate the moment,” Styles Sr. said. “That’s something even I took for granted, was the moment, because I was so busy focusing on the next moment of being better and not complacent. But at the same time, it’s always good to take those moments to reflect and appreciate where you’re at.”
The elder Styles is two days away from seeing both of his sons compete on the same field in a stadium he knows all too well. But with strong Buckeye roots dating back to his college career and a son now playing for his alma mater, will it be hard for him to remain neutral?
“Not hard at all,” Styles said with a laugh. “I’ve been a dad for 20-something years. Dad loves everybody.”
