James Laurinaitis and Ohio State have a good problem on their hands when it comes to Sonny Styles.

A former star linebacker for the Buckeyes, Laurinaitis was recently promoted to be the new linebackers coach in Columbus. He spent the 2023 season as a graduate assistant and was already working closely with the position group.

On Tuesday, he met with the media and was asked about Styles and a potential move to the linebacker group. Styles has been utilized in a variety of ways with the defense but was mainly a safety last season.

“I think that’s a question probably above me,” said Laurinaitis when asked if Styles will be in his group next season. “But I think Sonny has such a unique skill set in the sense that you saw it some a little bit where he would play a bit of the overhang because we didn’t really know what he was. Is he a safety? Is he an outside backer? Is he an old-school SAM to use those terms?”

Moving forward, Laurinaitis believes different roles help bring the versatility of Styles to the forefront, and the ultimate point is that the young defender is “just a weapon” Ohio State can deploy:

“He’s just so versatile, so I think there are a lot of different roles we can put Sonny in to kind of bring out the best of him,” Laurinaitis explained. “I think with his body size, and his age, when you try to project him forward he’s kind of in that Isaiah Simmons mix if you remember that name where you go what really is he? He’s just a weapon.”

Later, Laurinaitis was asked if he was “lobbying” to get Styles as a linebacker. He joked every defensive assistant with the Buckeyes would lobby for Styles, but the ultimate goal is to balance what Ohio State needs with what will be best for Styles’ long-term goals.

“He’s a big human. When you look at his body size, I think that he would excel as a linebacker,” Laurinaitis admitted. “I also think he has a unique skill set where he can play out in space like he did last year.”

Sonny Styles’ outlook

While Ohio State mulls how best to deploy Styles, fans can track Ohio State’s B1G title and College Football Playoff odds with Tradition’s Ohio sportsbooks links.

Last season, Styles recorded 53 total tackles, 4.5 TFL and 2 sacks from his safety spot. That included a career-high 7 tackles against Michigan, a number he also hit in the win over Rutgers.

It’s possible Styles slots back into his safety spot next season, but Ohio State’s makeup could lend itself to Styles moving to linebacker. Lathan Ransom is back as a veteran safety, and the Buckeyes dipped into the transfer portal to add star safety Caleb Downs from Alabama.

On the flip side of things, Ohio State is looking at how to best replace Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers in the middle of the defense. Cody Simon is back at linebacker, and all signs point to a potential breakout for former 5-star prospect CJ Hicks.

Still, the potential of Styles could be a game-changer in the middle of the defense as he continues to develop with the program. Time will tell, but the good news is Styles is lined up to be an impact performer no matter what position he lines up in.