Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles has declared for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Styles made the widely-expected announcement on social media Wednesday. He could be a top-10 pick.
“Thank you to [Coach Ryan Day] for leading me over the past four years and for believing in me throughout my journey at Ohio State,” Styles wrote. “I’m also incredibly grateful to [defensive coordinator Matt Patricia] and [linebackers coach James Laurinaitis]. Both of you had a huge impact on my development and I wouldn’t have the success I did at linebacker without you.”
Styles was Ohio State’s leading tackler in 2025 with 82 stops and 6.5 tackles for loss over 14 games. He also had a sack, an interception and three passes defensed along with a forced fumble. A season ago, Styles had 100 tackles in 16 games as Ohio State won the national championship.
He’s the third star Ohio State defensive player to declare for the 2026 draft along with fellow LB Arvell Reese and defensive back Caleb Downs. Ohio State’s defense allowed 9.3 points per game and 4.0 yards per play in 2025. Miami’s 24 points in the Hurricanes’ Cotton Bowl win was the most anyone scored against Ohio State all season and Miami’s total included a pick-6.
Styles went to the Los Angeles Rams at No. 13 in Yahoo Sports’ latest mock draft, though he could feasibly go higher than that, especially since Oregon QB Dante Moore — widely considered a top-five pick — announced Wednesday that he was heading back to school for the 2026 season.
Here’s what Yahoo Sports’ Nate Tice and Charles McDonald had to say about Styles potentially going to the Rams at No. 13:
The Rams use their first of two first-round picks on Styles to solidify their linebacker room. Styles has an element of speed and range to his game that the Rams could really use, and he would give them a much sturdier front seven than the boom-or-bust one they have.
Styles was a five-star recruit in the class of 2022 and the No. 4 player in the country along with the No. 2 athlete in Rivals’ rankings. The No. 1 athlete in Styles’ class was Travis Hunter, the 2024 Heisman winner who played both wide receiver and defensive back at Colorado.