Ohio State hasn't made a final decision on a starting Will linebacker for its season opener against Akron on Aug. 31, but the Buckeyes are leaning a certain direction.
Ryan Day met with reporters on Thursday and said he and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles will meet over the weekend to finalize their starting Will linebacker for Week 1, but Sonny Styles is the “leader in the clubhouse.” Styles has been locked in a position battle with C.J. Hicks since the spring, and has impressed the Buckeyes since moving from safety to linebacker in the offseason.
“Sonny has really stepped up and played well,” Day told reporters Thursday. “He’s made the transition from safety to linebacker very well. I think he did a nice job in the spring, but you can definitely see as he went into the summer, he’s just bigger, stronger, being more comfortable closer to the line of scrimmage ... I think he's looking forward to playing in a game and getting an idea of what it all looks like."
Styles appeared in 13 games at safety for OSU last season, starting 12 and making 53 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, a pass deflection, a forced fumble and two sacks. Now, he appears likely to round out the Buckeyes’ starting lineup at a new position.
"I can tell you in practice, he's playing fast," Day said. "He's playing violent. I think he does a nice job of taking the meeting to the field, being very intentional about his work, but playing really hard.”
