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Alexander “Sonny” Styles (born November 24, 2004) is an American professional football linebacker for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). Styles played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, winning the 2024 national championship prior to being selected seventh overall by the Commanders in the 2026 NFL draft. He is the son of former NFL linebacker Lorenzo Styles and the younger brother of defensive back Lorenzo Styles Jr.

Early life

Styles was born on November 24, 2004, in Columbus, Ohio.[1] He attended Pickerington High School Central in Pickerington, Ohio, where he played safety and recorded 88 tackles, a sack, two pass deflections, six interceptions, and a forced fumble during his career.[2] In a 2020 televised game against rival Pickerington North, he had nine tackles, an interception, and a blocked punt.[3] Styles also teamed with Devin Royal to help win the 2022 Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) basketball state championship. Rated a five-star recruit, he committed to play college football for the Buckeyes of Ohio State University.[4]

College career

Styles with the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2024

Styles recorded nine tackles as a reserve strong safety for the Ohio State Buckeyes as a freshman in 2022.[5] He was named the starter ahead of the 2023 season.[6] Styles was named the player of the game in the season opener against the Indiana Hoosiers.[7] He converted to linebacker in 2024, helping the Buckeyes win a national championship that season and earning second-team All-Big Ten honors after recording 100 tackles and six sacks.[8][9] In 2025, Styles was named a defensive co-captain along with Caleb Downs and was the recipient of the team’s Block O jersey number honor.[10][11] He earned All-American honors by The Sporting News after recording over 80 tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble.[12]

College statistics
Year Team G Tackles Interceptions
Cmb Solo Ast TFL Sck FF Int Yds TD PD
2022 Ohio State 10 9 5 4 1 – – – – – –
2023 Ohio State 13 53 32 21 4.5 2 1 – – – 1
2024 Ohio State 16 100 48 52 10.5 6 1 – – – 5
2025 Ohio State 14 82 46 36 6.5 1 1 1 5 – 3
Career[13] 53 244 131 113 22.5 9 3 1 5 0 9

Professional career

See also: List of second-generation NFL players
Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span Wingspan 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump
6 ft 5 in
(1.96 m)		 244 lb
(111 kg)		 32+7⁄8 in
(0.84 m)		 10 in
(0.25 m)		 6 ft 8+7⁄8 in
(2.05 m)		 4.46 s 1.56 s 2.62 s 4.26 s 7.09 s 43.5 in
(1.10 m)		 11 ft 2 in
(3.40 m)
All values from NFL Combine[14][15]

Styles’ performance at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine was considered among the best at his position in its history, with him being the only player at his size since 2003 to record a sub-4.5 second 40-yard dash, a 40+ inch vertical jump, and an 11+ foot broad jump.[16][17][18] He was selected by the Washington Commanders seventh overall in the 2026 NFL draft and signed his four-year rookie contract, worth $37.2 million, on May 8, 2026.[19][20][21] Styles chose the uniform number 52 after linebackers Ray Lewis and Patrick Willis, who were influences on him growing up.[22]

Personal life

Styles is the son of former NFL linebacker Lorenzo Styles and the younger brother of defensive back Lorenzo Styles Jr., who was drafted the same year in the fifth round by the New Orleans Saints.[23][24] He was given the nickname of Sonny after the character Sonny Corleone from The Godfather film franchise by his father because of tantrums towards his brother as a toddler and young child.[25] Styles graduated from Ohio State in December 2025 with a degree in sport industry.[26]

References

  1. ^ Brugler, Dane. “Sonny Styles – The Beast 2026”. The Athletic. The New York Times. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
  2. ^ “Sonny Styles Football Stats”. MaxPreps.com. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  3. ^ Teague Robinson, Cameron (August 18, 2023). “Ohio State football’s next big thing? How Sonny Styles has prepared for a Buckeyes breakout”. The Athletic. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  4. ^ Kaufman, Joey (November 13, 2021). “Pickerington Central five-star safety Sonny Styles commits to Ohio State football”. The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  5. ^ “Sonny Styles 2022 Game Logs”. Sports Reference. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  6. ^ Kaufman, Joey (August 21, 2023). “Sonny Styles earns starting safety role for Ohio State football”. The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  7. ^ “Players of the Game: Cade Stover and Sonny Styles Earn Top Honors For Performances in Ohio State’s Season Opener Against Indiana”. Eleven Warriors. September 3, 2023. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  8. ^ Kaufman, Joey (March 7, 2024). “Why Ohio State football is switching Sonny Styles from safety to linebacker”. Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved April 1, 2026.
  9. ^ “Big Ten Announces Football All-Conference Teams and Individual Awards”. BigTen.org. Big Ten Conference. December 3, 2024. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  10. ^ “Ohio State Announces Four Captains for 2025 Season”. ohiostatebuckeyes.com. August 16, 2025. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  11. ^ “Sonny Styles is Ohio State’s Sixth Block “O” Recipient”. ohiostatebuckeyes.com. August 16, 2025. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  12. ^ Bender, Bill (December 17, 2025). “The Sporting News 2025 College Football All-America Team”. The Sporting News. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
  13. ^ “Sonny Styles College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits”. College Football Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  14. ^ Reuter, Chad; Zierlein, Lance. “Sonny Styles Draft and Combine Prospect Profile”. NFL.com. Retrieved February 26, 2026.
  15. ^ “Sonny Styles College Football Profile”. DraftScout.com. Retrieved February 26, 2026.
  16. ^ Legwold, Jeff (February 26, 2026). “Ohio State LB Styles wows with 43.5-inch vertical at NFL combine”. ESPN. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  17. ^ Edholm, Eric (February 26, 2026). “Sonny Styles generates huge buzz with 2026 NFL Scouting Combine performance”. NFL.com. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  18. ^ Bubel, Jennifer (February 27, 2026). “Sonny Styles delivered a Combine performance the NFL hasn’t seen in over 20 years”. AS.com. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  19. ^ Carpenter, Les (April 24, 2026). “Commanders draft Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles with No. 7 pick”. The Washington Post. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
  20. ^ Burks, Serena (May 8, 2026). “Commanders sign Sonny Styles to rookie contract worth $37.2 million”. USA Today. Commanders Wire. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  21. ^ Selby, Zach (May 8, 2026). “Commanders sign 2026 draft class”. Commanders.com. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  22. ^ Selby, Zach (May 11, 2026). “Why Sonny Styles chose to wear No. 52”. Commanders.com. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  23. ^ Blackledge, Steve (November 6, 2020). “Styles family savoring final time together with Pickerington Central football team”. The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  24. ^ Baird, Nathan (April 29, 2023). “What Lorenzo Styles Jr.’s transfer commitment means for Ohio State football”. The Plain Dealer. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  25. ^ Al Baroudi, Wajih (April 23, 2026). “Why Sonny Styles’ name was inspired by James Caan’s ‘The Godfather’ character”. USA Today. For The Win. Retrieved May 3, 2026.
  26. ^ “13 Ohio State football players receive degrees in fall commencement”. WBNS-TV. December 21, 2025. Retrieved May 19, 2026.