Sonny Styles

Summary

Caleb “Sonny” Styles (21 years old) is a standout off-ball linebacker who has played his entire collegiate career at Ohio State with no transfers in his career. In 2025, Styles started every game for the Buckeyes and finished with 83 total tackles, 0.5 sacks, one interception and one forced fumble, anchoring a versatile Ohio State defense and earning First-Team All-Big Ten honors and consensus All-American recognition. He was also a key contributor to Ohio State’s national championship run in 2024 and has been consistently recognized as one of the premier linebackers in the Big Ten. Styles has maintained solid academic standing with no known significant off-field incidents. Off the field, he is widely regarded by coaches and teammates as a high-character, disciplined leader with a strong work ethic and team-first mentality. In terms of injury history, Styles has been largely durable throughout his career with no major injuries causing extended absences, underscoring his reliability as a three-down defender for the Buckeyes.

Strengths

• Freakshow Cyborg: Broke the Combine in Indianapolis. Brings linebacker size with defensive back athleticism, creating matchup versatility and covering ground efficiently to chase plays from sideline to sideline. Scary part is athletic traits suggest significant upside as instincts and experience continue to grow.

• Old School Hammer: Triggers quickly against the run and delivers forceful, tone-setting tackles. Times pressures well and closes rapidly on the quarterback when sent from depth.

• Coverage Maven: Has the length and movement skills to match bigger pass catchers in space. Comfortable aligning as a safety, nickel defender, or hybrid linebacker depending on the scheme.

• Tackle Machine: Leads all linebackers in the class in Depth tackling score (14.67/15.00) with very few missed tackles in his career.

Weaknesses

• Diagnostic Buffering: Still refining his diagnostic speed against complex route combinations and misdirection. Can be influenced by quarterback movement, creating windows behind him.

• Skyscraper: Taller frame can lead to high tackling posture even though it doesn’t impact his missed tackles rate. Quicker change of direction slot receivers may give him trouble in coverage as he adjusts footwork in man coverage.

• Downhill Aggression: At times commits too quickly to run action, opening space in play-action looks. Occasionally takes overly aggressive pursuit angles that allow cutbacks.

• Pass Rushing Production: Must continue improving hand placement and leverage when taking on bigger linemen to amp up his blitz production. Hybrid skill set can require careful deployment to maximize strengths without exposing limitations.

Outlook

Styles is a versatile, ultra-athletic playmaker with rare range, instincts in pass coverage, and the physicality to impact the run and pressure quarterbacks, making him a true three-down centerpiece in the second level. He projects best in multiple-look defenses that emphasize versatility and pattern-matching, such as 4-3 fronts with hybrid linebacker roles or 3-4 schemes that allow him to drop into coverage, blitz creatively, and align all over the formation rather than being locked into traditional off-ball or edge duties. Styles profiles as a top-15 talent with clear first-round projection with potential to rise depending on testing and scheme fit.

Pro Comparison: Tremaine Edmunds with a Jet Pack

Team Fits: TB, WAS, NO, DAL, BAL