Ryan Day explains why Sonny Styles is 'special' as a freshman defensive back

Freshmen often struggle to find the field early at powerhouse programs. Freshmen defensive backs usually take even longer to develop from the high school ranks to college ball.

Sonny Styles isn’t like most freshmen. He’s already proven to Ohio State coach Ryan Day that he’s more than capable of handling business against some of the top receivers in the nation on any given Saturday.

Ryan Day says he did not think Sonny Styles would have the impact he’s had this early on. “He’s special.” Day says he supported Styles' decision to reclassify, but was cautious about it.

— Griffin Strom (@GriffinStrom3) September 29, 2022

Dykes, a 6-4, 222-pound safety, still can’t vote, yet he can lay the hammer in coverage. At 17, Dykes has become a name on the rise for the Buckeyes’ defense under first-year coordinator Jim Knowles.

Styles isn’t a full-time starter yet for Ohio State, but his play style is helping him trend in that direction. So far in 4 games, he’s only played in a handful of snaps, but did make an impact felt against Toldeo. Dykes totaled 3 tackles en route to a 77-21 win over the Rockets.

Day told reporters that Dykes’ football pedigree has helped him transition from high school to college with ease. Styles’ father, Lorenzo Styles, was a linebacker who also played for the Buckeyes in the early 1990s. He also was a teammate of Buckeyes’ secondary coach Tim Walton.

“His parents have done an unbelievable job of raising this young man,” Day said. “He’s special. We’re very fortunate this has worked out this way. He’s going to be a really good Buckeye for us.”

The Buckeyes will face Rutgers at home on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EST.