2023 Athlete Alex Styles Is No Stranger To Notre Dame, Ohio State
Pickerington (Ohio) Central started its 2020 football season with a 35-9 triumph versus its rival Pickerington (Ohio) North on Sunday, and one of the stars of the afternoon was class of 2023 athlete Alex Styles, who has the nickname “Sonny” after Sonny Corleone in the movie The Godfather.
Shortly after the game finished, Styles added an offer from Ohio State, and then two days later, he earned a scholarship from Notre Dame.
“It’s been pretty amazing, pretty unreal honestly,” Styles said of this week. “I wasn’t expecting it all to happen this early.”
His father, Lorenzo Styles Sr., played linebacker for the Buckeyes in the 1990s, and Ohio State is the local school. To land that offer was a big moment for the sophomore standout.
“That was definitely pretty cool.” Styles noted. “I was in shock. It took me the whole day for it to sink in that it actually happened.”
Styles’ older brother, Lorenzo, is committed to Notre Dame as a wide receiver in the 2021 recruiting class. The Fighting Irish offer, which he received from wide receivers coach Del Alexander, was just as special as Ohio State for him.
“My brother already has a close relationship with him, so Coach Alexander was talking about how he was already familiar with me and what kind of people me and my family are,” Styles said. “They were waiting to see me play and were impressed with my upside. There’s no telling how I’m going to fill out.”
Just a sophomore in high school, Styles already stands at 6-4, 208 pounds. He’s quite the versatile player and with his frame, he could play anywhere from defensive end to safety at the next level.
“[Ohio State and Notre Dame] both said how I can be a hybrid guy,” Styles added. “Coach Alexander called it the rover position – outside linebacker and move around a lot.”
Styles has been able to communicate with Irish head coach Brian Kelly on a few occasions, both in-person and virtually.
“I actually got to talk to Coach Kelly when Lorenzo was on a Zoom call with him a month or so ago,” recalled Styles. “We sat down as a family on that Zoom call, so I got to talk to him for a little bit. It was pretty cool. I’ve gotten to talk to him a few times in person too when Lorenzo went on his visits.”
The dynamic in the Styles’ household has to be quite interesting, with Lorenzo Sr. being an Ohio State alum, Lorenzo Jr. going to Notre Dame in January of 2021.
“Lorenzo is going to want me to come play with him of course, but he wants me to go wherever is best for me – just like our dad didn’t push him to go to Ohio State,” Styles explained. “It’ll be the same thing for me.”
And then there’s Alex’s mother, who is just thrilled with her son’s opportunities.
“She’s so happy for me,” Styles added. “Of course, she wants me to stay on the books too and be a top performer in my school academically.”
Styles is also a superb basketball player and is getting some looks by colleges on the hardwood. It’s too early for him to decide which sport he’d like to play at the next level though.
“I’m going to keep developing myself in both sports,” he explained. “I want to be the best player in both, and whatever happens, happens. I’m not sure what I’m going to do right now, but it’s a thought in the back of my head.”
“He’s one of the top players in his grade for football and basketball,” Lorenzo Jr. added during an interview with BlueandGold.com in July. “Schools need to offer him now because I’m trying to get him to Notre Dame, so you need to get on him now.”
Styles also holds offers from Indiana and Toledo.
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