Early returns on Ohio State’s Will linebacker competition are positive, even if a favorite hasn’t emerged yet in Jim Knowles’ eyes.
The Buckeyes’ defensive coordinator sees the race between 2022 five-star prospects C.J. Hicks and Sonny Styles as a dead heat with both men commanding playing time. Ohio State’s base 4-2-5 defense only has room for one of them to play alongside Mike linebacker Cody Simon, but their talents and concerns about the team's nickel depth behind Jordan Hancock have Knowles thinking about more 4-3 looks in 2024.
“In 4-2 scheme I think they’re both neck-and-neck right now,” Knowles said. “We've got to continue to look at and create more ways to get all three of them on the field, take the nickel out. I think our depth at nickel concerns me.”
For a star-saturated defense that only has that Will linebacker spot to fill in its starting lineup, such a close competition between two players Knowles wants to get on the field as much as possible can only bode well.
Styles and Hicks took different paths to get here, even if both arrived on campus the same year after the former reclassified from the recruiting class of 2023 to 2022. Styles played meaningful snaps in the 2022 College Football Playoff semifinals against Georgia as a freshman safety, then began last season as the Buckeyes’ starting nickel safety. He moved back to deep safety in the back half of last year following an injury to Lathan Ransom, but his best play came near the line of scrimmage, prompting the move to Will linebacker this offseason.
“Sonny has proven to be a guy you can count on in the big moments,” Knowles said. “He's gained weight, strength, he's well-respected by everybody. So he makes that move to Will and you just see a lot of production. You see a guy who understands football.
“I've had a lot of success with bringing safeties down to the linebacker (position) because they have an idea of the bigger picture and everything that's going on from sideline to sideline. So Sonny shows that.”
Styles finished 2023 with 53 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks with no interceptions and just one pass breakup. Pro Football Focus gave him a pass coverage grade of 68.9 on the season, eighth among Ohio State’s defensive backs and linebackers who saw significant run. Targeted 20 times by opposing quarterbacks, Styles allowed 12 catches for 117 yards, a catch rate of 60% that was the worst among the team’s DBs who started a game.
His high school career and two seasons at Ohio State playing safety should take what was a bit of a weakness last year and make it a strength. He transitions to a position where he’ll mainly be covering tight ends and running backs rather than shifty slot receivers and vertical threats downfield.
Styles has been acclimating quickly.
“You always expect some initial dropoff or a learning curve, but I think Sonny has been at the top of the learning curve from the time he started and getting better all the time,” Knowles said.
“He's gained weight, strength, he's well respected by everybody. So he makes that move to Will and you just see a lot of production. You see a guy who understands football.”– Jim Knowles on Sonny Styles
Hicks is a player that Knowles said would be “unleashed” at some point last season in the leadup to the season, but it never happened. He got on the field for a few snaps in the Cotton Bowl but didn’t look like the five-star talent he’s supposed to be.
Hicks has always had amazing athletic gifts, but Ohio State’s coaches have wanted to see him drill down on the finer points of playing linebacker. He made progress this spring by all accounts and stood out as a disruptor during practices open to the media.
"I think C.J. Hicks has done a phenomenal job," linebacker coach James Laurinaitis said in April. "You gotta keep pressing him and making sure that he's really tapping into everything that he can offer. I think C.J. sees the opportunity, and he’s certainly making a case to get on the field this fall. So I think it's been a really good spring for C.J."
While still battling with Styles to start at Will, Knowles has started coming up with ways to use Hicks as a chess piece, including playing him off the edge on the line of scrimmage to disrupt the run game more, rush the quarterback and cover tight ends man-to-man.
“C.J. has some demonstrated talent – we saw it in spring – of making plays when he's on the attack,” Knowles said. “And I think Sonny can do that, too. So we're developing more of those opportunities for that Will position because we think we have the guys to do it.”
That role is not to be confused with the hybrid defensive end/linebacker Jack position Knowles deployed at previous stops and in his first year at Ohio State in 2022. With Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau starring at defensive end and plenty of depth behind them in Kenyatta Jackson Jr., Caden Curry and Mitchell Melton, Knowles plans to have at least two defensive ends on the field almost exclusively this year.
“(The Jack) is always there, but I don't think that right now with what we have that it's the answer,” Knowles said.
“C.J. has some demonstrated talent – we saw it in spring – of making plays when he's on the attack. And I think Sonny can do that, too.”– Jim Knowles on playing C.J. Hicks off the edge on the line of scrimmage
There’s a clear plan to get both Hicks and Styles on the field at the same time in certain situations through those 4-3 looks with Styles in a Sam linebacker role against heavier fronts. The versatility in his and Hicks’ skillset could even make it viable against three-receiver formations.
“Lorenzo (Styles Jr., the Buckeyes’ projected backup nickel) has been hurt. He's coming back, but hopefully he'll fill that (depth at nickel),” Knowles said. “But right now behind Jordan, everybody's kind of taking shots. Jermaine (Mathews Jr.)'s taking some shots. Denzel (Burke)'s taking some shots. Everybody (at cornerback) is learning the position. But Sonny, if you remember the plan initially last year, he was playing that nickel/Sam until Lathan got hurt, (then) we had to move him back. So I feel like we can get all three of them (Hicks, Styles and Simon) in the game a significant amount.”
So yes, Styles and Hicks are deadlocked in a battle to start in the Buckeyes’ base defense, but both are projected to have a part to play in Ohio State’s defense regardless of who wins out at Will.
“Once game time comes, everybody will see it and we (the coaches) will see it and we'll keep creating opportunities for them to do what they do best,” Knowles said. “You try to learn what they do best and then when they're in the game, you call those things. But I think it's going good right now because they're both showing up.”
