Scarlet Sunrise: Lorenzo Styles Jr. already making impact on special teams for Buckeyes
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Lorenzo Styles Jr. already making impact on special teams for Buckeyes
Transitioning from wide receiver to cornerback, even with Lorenzo Styles Jr. haivng played the defensive back position at Pickerington Central High School back in the day, takes some time.
But that doesn’t mean Styles can’t make an immediate impact on the field at Ohio State.
Before the season began, Styles noted that he was a special teams contributor at Notre Dame, in addition to being the second-leading Fighting Irish wideout in 2022.
“I think just using the skill set I had there,” Styles said. “I’ve shown I can be a great gunner there. I’ve done some kickoff return there. So just being able to help the team out any way I can on special teams.”
That’s what the junior has done at Ohio State since joining the program in the spring. And it showed up last weekend at Indiana, where Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day said Styles drew a pair of Hoosiers holding penalties while on kickoff coverage.
On Sunday, Ohio State honored its players of the game from the season-opening victory. Despite sophomore place kicker Jayden Fielding going 3-of-3 on field goals in Bloomington, Styles was named the Buckeyes’ “Special Teams Player of the Game.”
If you didn’t recognize him, it might be because Styles was wearing a No. 73 jersey — there was already a No. 4, Julian Fleming, on special teams — or because Styles didn’t register a game statistic.
So why did Styles get the weekend honor?
“It’s his effort and his competitiveness, toughness. I mean, he can really run,” Day said Thursday. “And his effort running down on kickoff last week was excellent.”
Day continued: “Because Lorenzo was giving such great effort, he caused two holding penalties that backed Indiana way up, and now when you start a drive that far back, your chances of scoring a touchdown decrease.”
Styles finished with 11 special teams snaps, according to Pro Football Focus: six on kickoff coverage, five on punt return.
He made those snaps count.
“I thought the effort was great,” Day said. “I think you see his competitiveness. We spent a lot of time competing this offseason, and he was right in the middle of it. He loves that part of it. You can see that’s just the way he’s built. This summer he was really doing that, and you saw his effort.
“So if we can keep building on that, then that’s a good thing.”
Ohio State commit Jeremiah Smith headlines critical visit weekend
Ohio State will play its home opener Saturday against Youngstown State. Not only will the in-state, FBS-FCS matchup be a chance for the Buckeyes’ offense to get right, but it will also be an opportunity for the program to host their first successful recruiting weekend of the regular season.
A bunch of Ohio State commits, as well as a few 2025 targets, will be in the ‘Shoe for a potential Week 2 blowout victory.
That list is headlined by five-star Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna wide receiver and Ohio State commit Jeremiah Smith, also the No. 1 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking this cycle.
Lettermen Row has more on which other prospects will be in Columbus for Ohio State-Youngstown State this weekend. Check it out here and watch the newest episode of the Lettermen Lounge.
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Buckeyes see improvements coming from Kyle McCord after Week 1 performance
Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord didn’t have a mistake-free 2023 debut, but his first start of the season — also his second start of his career — demonstrated his ability to work through adversity.
McCord bounced back from a second quarter interception and established a rhythm in the third frame, helping the Buckeyes pull away from Indiana, ultimately guiding them to an up-and-down, 23-3 win in Bloomington.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day described McCord’s performance as a “mixed bag” postgame. His teammates, however, highlighted this week what there was to like about McCord versus the Hoosiers.
“I think he did really well,” senior wideout Julian Fleming said. “He definitely showed some leadership qualities at times. I thought it was a pretty good first game for him. A lot to build on as a team, a lot to build on for him. It’s going to be exciting.”
Fleming added: “Just staying calm under pressure. He threw a pick at one point, came back the next drive ready to go. Just seeing him build that poise was really good.”
For the full story, go here.
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Counting down
Buckeyes vs. Youngstown State: 2 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 78 days
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