Lorenzo Styles Jr. is moving from wide receiver to cornerback after transferring from Notre Dame to Ohio State. (AP photo)
COLUMBUS — Ohio State football secondary coach Tim Walton believes Lorenzo Styles Jr. has all the raw ingredients to make the conversion to cornerback.
What the Notre Dame transfer and former wide receiver has not yet had is time to actually make the transition. Walton and other coaches, back off the road from recruiting, are eager to observe that next stage.
“Strong, he can run, he’s physical, and he’s 195 pounds,” Walton said Tuesday in his first opportunity to comment on Styles since his transfer. “So you’re talking about a guy that has good size. He’s played the game, he’s mature, so he has the knowledge.
“Now he just has to go get the experience back on that side of the ball. Get the technique and take time to go back through the transition of drill work and understanding the different movement skills that come with that instead of receiver.”
Styles began his conversion to defensive back late in Notre Dame’s spring practices. Per various outlets who cover the team, he was expected to play both ways in the annual Blue/White scrimmage at the end of the spring.
Instead, he entered the transfer portal prior to the game.
Styles did not exactly fail as a college receiver. He finished second on the Irish in receptions last season and put up 684 yards over two seasons. He could still be there, or in some other program, catching passes this fall.
Yet cornerback is where the Buckeyes always felt Styles could make a bigger impact. Walton was not yet on staff during that recruitment. Other OSU assistants were, though. Offensive coordinator and receivers coach Brian Hartline said he told Styles as a Pickerington Central High School prospect that cornerback might be his better position.
“Finding the path and believing in what you want to do, and then maybe switching — I can only guess how hard that would be,” Hartline said.
“But I’m really excited he’s back. As an individual, as a person — he’s awesome. And so to add more and more people like that to our locker room is only a bonus for us.”
Walton believes Styles’ high football IQ and cornerback background will reduce the learning curve. Having seen other players try to make this conversion over the years, he considers mentality and attitude crucial to the process.
He also feels Styles can draw from the past two years on the other side of the ball, as well.
“It helps them understand route progressions, playing that position,” Walton said. “It helps you dissect stems, how to finish at the top of the route, the formation on what route teams like to run.”
Ohio State faced near desperation at times last season in its quest for healthy cornerbacks. Starters Denzel Burke and Cam Brown both missed games with injuries. Jordan Hancock, who the coaches expected to compete for starter’s snaps, suffered a hamstring injury in preseason camp that essentially wiped out his season.
Burke and Hancock are both back and anticipating healthy seasons. Former Mississippi starter Davison Igbinosun also transferred in, providing another experienced option. Jyaire Brown and Ryan Turner enter their second seasons.
That group already showed signs during the spring of making cornerback a strength again. When Styles became available, though, the Buckeyes quickly expressed their interest.
Walton played with Styles’ father, Lorenzo, with the Buckeyes. Sonny Styles enters his second season in the safety group. Ohio State could not have been more familiar with the caliber of athlete and type of person who planned to make this mid-career conversion.
“We haven’t had a chance to do a lot on the field because he didn’t go through spring,” Walton said. “But everything has been good. The adjustment has been good. He’s fitting in well with the players.
“Obviously with Sunny being here, the relationship and the chemistry with the other guys has mended well so far. So we’re looking forward to keep progressing.”
