When most people picture someone scaling Mount Everest, they think of it as a linear process. You go straight up the World’s tallest mountain for an indiscriminate amount of time and start having to breathe from an oxygen tank along the way as the air thins drastically.
In reality, your body has to acclimate to extreme elevations, which is why climbers trek several hours on a given day to build up as many red blood cells as possible, then come back down to a slightly higher camp than their previous one for the night. There are peaks and valleys to the heights these hikers go that gradually rise over time until the summit is completed.
Nothing has felt gradual about Sonny Styles’ transition from safety to Will linebacker. He started to make strides in spring practice and is now invading Ohio State’s offensive backfield consistently in the fall.
“Will is not an easy position to play at all,” starting Mike linebacker Cody Simon said. “And I mean, he's doing really well.”
While he’s technically still battling with C.J. Hicks to start at Will, Styles has gone from safety to an immediate part of the plan at linebacker for Ohio State in a mere matter of months, and he’s done so thanks to his football IQ, drive to learn and insane athleticism.
“I think the thing with Sonny is that he wants to be great, so he wants to understand,” Laurinaitis said. “He doesn't just ask a question about like what am I supposed to do, he wants to understand why, like why are you asking me to do this.”
Jim Knowles said on Friday that the competition between Hicks and Styles is still “neck-and-neck,” though Ohio State’s first four practices didn’t make it feel that way. Styles was seen taking the majority of first-team reps at the Will linebacker spot during those sessions, which were open to the media.
“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.”
Styles said much of the key to his fast-paced learning has been observing the mistakes of others around him and learning from the teaching points they get. He added that some of the coverage concepts overlap between Will and nickel, which he played in the first half of last season.
Playing deep safety also allowed him to visualize the whole field on defense, something Knowles also alluded to.
“I think playing safety for the first two years definitely helped in terms of the way I'm able to move, being able to cover, having a pretty solid feel of zone drops,” Styles said. “And then in the overall picture of the defense, I feel like I got a pretty good understanding of what everyone's doing.”
Pass coverage generally is an area Styles feels he can excel at Will linebacker. After guarding shifty slot receivers out of the nickel and protecting a broad expanse downfield as a deep safety last year, he’s eager to match up with tight ends and running backs.
“It definitely fits me pretty well,” Styles said. “I didn't really like guarding a bunch of guys who are running 4.3s. But yeah, no disrespect to like tight ends, you know there's some good tight ends out there. (But linebacker) fits my capabilities well, because I feel like I'm gonna be able to run probably faster than them or just as fast and be just as strong.”
That said, the physical side of playing linebacker has really appealed to Styles too.
“I definitely feel comfortable. I love the position for myself,” Styles said. “I think playing linebacker's a mindset. Like every play, you've got to come down and be the hammer, not the nail. In terms of the fundamentals, just (working on) footwork. Footwork and hand placement is huge at linebacker. You've got to be able to have good feet. You've got to be able to strike, and I think that goes for any linebacker.”
With that increased physicality came a need for more weight to play in the box against offensive linemen and the like. Even with the move from around 230 pounds to around 240, Styles feels more athletic than ever.
It's no coincidence he was named to Bruce Feldman's "Freaks" list and selected as one of 10 Iron Buckeyes for his efforts in summer workouts on Wednesday.
“I gained about 10 pounds and I actually got faster,” Styles said. “Like all my (sprint and agility) times (improved). My max speed went up. So I got faster, I got stronger and I got heavier.”
"I gained about 10 pounds and I actually got faster."– Sonny Styles on his physical changes this offseason
That’s not to say the transition has been completely devoid of growing pains. The run fits hit much faster and act differently than at safety for a linebacker.
Laurinaitis stated the quickness that Styles moves with has actually been a problem at times because there are situations when a linebacker needs to strafe and play parallel to the line of scrimmage before pulling the trigger and attacking. All those decisions occur in split seconds 3 to 5 yards from the line.
“I think the biggest thing that had to click for me is – because I wasn't really used to this – being so close and getting a feel for what the run action is,” Styles said. “As soon as the ball is snapped, you see the O-line move and you're like, ‘Oh, I know what the run action is already.’ I think I've been starting to get a better feel of that. And you have those really, really good linebacker plays that make you feel good, like, ‘Oh yeah, that was good.’”
Based on the last few practices Styles feels like the odds-on favorite to win the starting Will linebacker job, but whether it’s Hicks or he who starts at the position, both will get plenty of playing time as part of three-linebacker packages or even in other settings as chess pieces. One will also, of course, be the top backup for the other.
“I've told the guys over and over, I think as we go through this season – since it'll be a long one – if you earn the right to play, you'll play,” Laurinaitis said. “You'll rotate. And that's just going to be how your performance is going to go through the whole season.”
Either way, it’s staggering to see the headway Styles has already made in his new position.
