Over the past two years, Lorenzo Styles Jr. had been among Notre Dame's best weapons on offense. Only Michael Mayer caught more passes and recorded more yards through the air than Styles between 2021-22.
This past offseason, however, Styles decided to transfer. He left South Bend, and wound up heading east to Columbus to join Ohio State. He did not wind up becoming a member of the Buckeyes' offensive weapons. Instead, he joined his brother, Sonny Styles, in the secondary, working to prevent catches rather than haul them in.
On Saturday, Lorenzo Styles Jr. will return to South Bend to face off against his former team in a pivotal matchup between No. 6 Ohio State and No. 9 Notre Dame.
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Why did Lorenzo Styles wind up leaving the Fighting Irish? Here's what you need to know.
Why did Lorenzo Styles Jr. transfer?
It had been reported at the time of Styles' transfer from Notre Dame that he intended to switch from wide receiver to defensive back at whichever school he landed. During the spring, he had played both corner and wide receiver for Notre Dame, but wound up deciding to leave and play exclusively corner.
There were of course some familial reasons for the transfer. His brother, Sonny Styles, is a year behind him and had already carved out a role as the team's nickel safety. His father, Lorenzo Styles Sr., was a star linebacker for the Buckeyes in the 1990s, and went on to spend several years in the NFL.
Per Eleven Warriors, family was not the only reason he transferred to Ohio State. While he said it was a "cool opportunity" to keep the Styles family line going in Columbus, he also was "trying to be one of the best players in the country."
And what played in Ohio State's favor was the belief that secondary coach Tim Walton could be the coach to turn him into that star talent.
"It definitely still was a hard decision. I had to think about some things for sure. But at the end of the day, this was the best opportunity for me to excel,” Styles said, per Eleven Warriors. “I mean, we're trying to be BIA. We're trying to be the best cornerback group in the nation. I really believe in Coach Walt, and I really believe in the guys we have on this team, and I think they can develop me to be the best player I can be.”
It was during the offseason, when Styles ran some drills with the corners, that he described feeling like cornerback was "natural" for him. Though he said he'd return to wide receiver if the team asked him to do so, he thinks he has a higher ceiling playing on the defensive side of the ball.
“I thought I had the best opportunity to have a long career in the NFL as a corner. And I think I have the highest ceiling at that position,” Styles said, per Eleven Warriors. “I think my skill set fits really well. I'm explosive. I'm fast. I'm pretty long. I can run. So I think just trying to have that translate to the defensive side of the ball would be pretty effective.”
Styles certainly has the athleticism to handle the position change. He was a four-star recruit in the 2021 class, ranked as the No. 115 recruit overall, per 247Sports Composite Rankings. His scouting report praised his ball skills and tracking ability, and said he was a physical defender who could an outside wide receiver or slot receiver.
His time at wide receiver at the collegiate level could make him a unique corner that attacks coverage with a receiver mindset. He said that his understanding of routes and receiver skills could help him advance well in the position.
"I think a lot of corners, they don't have that like receiver experience and understanding what an offense is trying to attack and what they're trying to get at," Styles said, per Eleven Warriors. "But being able to understand that's going to help me be able to get my hands on the ball."
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Ohio State cornerback depth chart
- Denzel Burke
- Jordan Hancock
- Davison Igbinosun
- Jyaire Brown
While Styles is an experienced player, his lack of experience at corner keeps him low on the Ohio State cornerback depth chart — for now. Through the first three games, he has seen playing time only on special teams, tallying 13 total snaps on special teams this season and none on defense.
“I'm working to be a starter. I'm working to be one of the best corners in the country. And I think that's just my mindset, trying to attack that every single day,” Styles said, per Eleven Warriors. “No matter what it really looks like right now, that's my ultimate goal.”
Styles could be in a position to provide some insight to the Ohio State defense in Week 4, having been an integral part of Notre Dame's offense last year after finishing with the second-most receptions (30) behind just Mayer. Among those 30 catches a season ago was one for 54 yards in the Fighting Irish's loss to Ohio State.
Lorenzo Styles 54 yard reception pic.twitter.com/WGD3gcVLRF
— solvingfootball (@solvingfootball) September 3, 2022
