Sonny Styles may have started his college career a year early, but that doesn’t mean he was fully prepared for the next level.
Even a five-star talent like Styles, still a top-12 prospect in the country after reclassifying into the 2022 cycle, had to grapple with nerves and uncertainty as he acclimated to the highest level of college football as a true freshman. By the end of the season, though, Buckeye coaches felt comfortable enough with Styles’ ability to put him on the field for 12 snaps in the College Football Playoff semifinal against the defending national champions.