The Styles brothers are taking over the NFL Combine: Meet Sonny and Lorenzo

The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine has already provided us with some incredible performances. But it’s also set the stage for one of the more compelling family stories in recent memory.

From Buckeye legacy to NFL destiny

Linebacker Sonny Styles and safety Lorenzo Styles Jr., both former teammates for the Ohio State Buckeyes, have turned heads on consecutive days at Lucas Oil Stadium with historic performances that are reshaping their draft narratives and captivating NFL talent evaluators.

Football runs in the Styles family. Their father, Lorenzo Styles Sr., was a standout linebacker at Ohio State from 1992 to 1994 before embarking on a six-year NFL career, including winning Super Bowl XXXIV with the St. Louis Rams. Growing up in Pickerington, Ohio, Sonny and Lorenzo Jr. were mentored by their dad from a young age, training with drills disguised as games and developing the instincts that now have scouts talking.

Sonny Styles: The linebacker who exploded the Combine

Sonny’s real name is actually Alex. The nickname Sonny came from childhood. His father dubbed him Sonny after a character from “The Godfather” due to his energy and intensity as a kid.

Now, the former five-star recruit, has been one of the most talked about defensive prospects of the 2026 Combine. At 6′5″ and 244 pounds, he posted jaw-dropping athletic numbers, including a 43.5-inch vertical jump, an 11-foot-2 broad jump and a 4.46-second 40-yard dash, figures that are virtually unheard of for a linebacker his size. That vertical alone set Combine benchmarks and places him among the most explosive defenders seen in years.

What’s more, Sonny’s versatility is a major part of his profile. Originally a safety in high school and early in college, he transitioned into a dominant linebacker role by 2024, showing elite range, coverage ability and physicality, traits that have teams pondering his value as a three-down defender.

Already regarded as a potential top-10 pick, the 21-year-old has solidified his status as one of the most dynamic defenders in the 2026 draft class.

Lorenzo Styles Jr.: From receiver to defensive playmaker

Just a day after Sonny’s standout showing, Lorenzo Styles Jr. made waves of his own.

Lorenzo Jr., the older brother (23 years old) posted an official 4.27-second 40-yard dash, the fastest time recorded by any defensive back at this year’s Combine and one of the top marks by a safety in combine history.

His journey to this moment was unconventional. Lorenzo Jr. began his college career as a wide receiver at Notre Dame, where he logged significant offensive snaps, before transferring to Ohio State and transitioning full-time to the defensive secondary.

Now a standout safety with rare straight-line speed, Lorenzo Jr. is rewriting his draft stock after a performance that exceeded expectations for a player switching positions and proving he can compete among the elite athletic performers in this class.

Ohio State legacy continues

The two brothers were part of an Ohio State defense that helped the Buckeyes win a national championship together, blending their talents at different positions and now showcasing them on a national stage.

Their combined success at the Combine - Sonny’s record-setting explosiveness and Lorenzo Jr.’s historic speed - makes the Styles pair one of the most unique sibling narratives in recent draft history.

NFL scouts often discuss “traits” and “measurables,” but rarely do two prospects from the same family own separate, historic marks at the same event. That’s precisely what the Styles brothers have accomplished this week in Indianapolis, and it’s likely to keep teams talking right up to April’s draft.

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