Sonny Styles, an Ohio State linebacker, has a notable family background including an NFL father and a draft-eligible brother. His impressive NFL Combine performance raises questions about his potential success in the league.
Key points
Sonny Styles is an Ohio State linebacker.
He has a father with an NFL background.
Sonny has a draft-eligible brother named Lorenzo Styles Jr.
He showcased impressive athleticism at the NFL Combine.
Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles put together one of the most impressive NFL Combine performances ever, showcasing a rare combination of size and athleticism. Will it translate to stardom in the NFL?
Plenty of physical specimens have struggled to become stars at the professional level, and as an inside linebacker, Styles already plays a position that isn't valued as highly as most others.
Between his raw talent, Ohio State's track record for developing NFL talent and his own family's history on the gridiron, Styles has the makings of a potential superstar.
Here's a look at the family behind Styles, including his NFL father.
Styles has a brother in the 2026 draft: college teammate Lorenzo Styles Jr., who is projected to be a late-round pick.
Are Sonny Styles and Lorenzo Styles Jr. twins?
While they are heading to the NFL at the same time, the Styles brothers are not twins. In fact, they are more than two years apart. Lorenzo, who started out at Notre Dame before transferring to Ohio State, started his college football career earlier than Sonny.
Q&A
Who is Sonny Styles' father and what is his NFL background?
Sonny Styles' father is Lorenzo Styles Sr., who has a background in the NFL.
Does Sonny Styles have any siblings and what are their backgrounds?
Yes, Sonny Styles has a brother, Lorenzo Styles Jr., who is draft-eligible.
What position does Sonny Styles play and how did he perform at the NFL Combine?
Sonny Styles plays as an inside linebacker and had one of the most impressive performances at the NFL Combine.
What are Sonny Styles' roots and where is he from?
Sonny Styles is from Ohio and has strong family ties to the state.
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Is Sonny or Lorenzo the older brother?
Lorenzo is more than two years older than Sonny, as he was born in September 2002 while Sonny wasn't born until November 2004. With Sonny playing like a no-doubt first-round talent, he is able to head to the NFL at only 21 with his brother by his side.
Styles' brother, Lorenzo, is a cornerback who started his college career at Notre Dame as a wide receiver. Lorenzo had 54 catches for 684 yards and two touchdowns over his first two seasons with the Fighting Irish, but he transferred to Ohio State to play alongside his brother in 2023 and became a full-time cornerback after playing sparingly in his first season with the Buckeyes.
After transferring, Lorenzo told WSYX that making the move was a "hard decision," despite getting the opportunity to play with his brother. "At the end of the day this was the best opportunity for me to excel,” Lorenzo said, adding, “[We’re] trying to bring a national championship back to Ohio.”
Lorenzo, who is from the Columbus area, fulfilled that goal winning a national championship against his former program in his second season at Ohio State before finishing up his career with three pass deflections on a loaded Buckeyes defense in 2025.
While his brother lit up the NFL Combine and is the higher-rated professional prospect, Lorenzo impressed as well with a blazing 4.27-second 40-yard dash that he hopes will make him an NFL Draft pick.
It might be no surprise that both Sonny and Lorenzo are athletic specimens when you consider the football career of their father, Lorenzo Sr.
The elder Lorenzo reached the NFL after earning All-Big Ten honors at Ohio State, carving out a six-year career as a linebacker from 1995-2000. While he was primarily a reserve, starting only eight of 70 games, he stuck around long enough to play in a handful of meaningful games.
Lorenzo jumped into coaching in 2010 and was on the staff of Lorenzo Jr.'s high school team when it won a state championship in 2019. Today, Lorenzo is a defensive analyst at Bowling Green under former Buckeyes teammate Eddie George.
Who did Lorenzo Styles Sr. play for in the NFL?
Styles split his six NFL seasons between the Falcons and Rams, spending four of six seasons in St. Louis but playing more than half of his games in Atlanta after being drafted by the Falcons as a third-round pick in 1995.
Lorenzo Styles Sr. NFL stats
Season
Team
Games
Starts
Tackles
INT
1995
Falcons
12
0
0
0
1996
Falcons
16
0
16
0
1997
Rams
3
0
0
0
1998
Rams
7
3
13
0
1999
Rams
16
0
18
0
2000
Rams
16
5
47
0
Career
70
8
94
0
Styles recorded 94 tackles over six NFL seasons, starting eight of his 70 games and never recording an interception.
Styles won Super Bowl 34 with the Rams at the end of the 1999 season, as St. Louis stunningly made a run to the title after QB Kurt Warner emerged as an unlikely star. Styles appeared in every game for the Rams in 1999 but did not start a game; he recorded a tackle in the Super Bowl win over the Titans.
Where did Lorenzo Styles Sr. go to college?
Styles is originally from Columbus and spent his collegiate career at Ohio State, where he earned All-Big Ten honors in both 1993 and 1994 and recorded an interception in each season. The Buckeyes went 10-1-1 in 1993, beating BYU in the Holiday Bowl.
While Lorenzo Jr. has his name, Lorenzo Sr. played the same position as his other son, Sonny, as he was deployed at linebacker by Ohio State.
Sonny Styles mom: Laverna Styles
Styles' mother, Laverna, also attended Ohio State and works in the Ohio Department of Administrative Services. She met her husband during her time as a Buckeye and graduated in 1994.
When Lorenzo Jr. transferred to the program in 2023, Laverna told the Ohio State Alumni Magazine that she was thrilled to see both of her sons playing in Columbus. "I met my husband when we both attended Ohio State, cheered for him as a Buckeye and now I’m cheering for our sons as Buckeyes," she said.
Laverna beamed with pride at the NFL Combine, wearing Lorenzo Jr.'s jersey when he participated in on-field workouts and Sonny's when it was his turn. "They're focused, they're disciplined," she said. "They know the importance of being true to yourself."
Does Sonny Styles have other siblings?
There are no more Styles brothers coming up the pipeline for Ohio State football, but Styles does have two sisters, Tonia and Sydney.
"They both went to the University of Dayton," Laverna told 247 Sports in 2025. "Tonia, the oldest sister, graduated in 2011. Sydney graduated from UD last year in August."
Tonia and Sydney both stayed in-state by attending Dayton, but they did break family tradition by passing on Ohio State after both of their parents were Buckeyes.
What is Sonny Styles' real name?
Styles' birth name is Alexander, but he was given the nickname "Sonny" during childhood because his temper reminded his parents of "The Godfather" character Sonny Corleone.
"He could go from zero to 10 in the blink of an eye, so his nickname became Sonny," Laverna told NFL Network at the NFL Combine.
Is Sonny Styles in a relationship?
Styles is dating Boston College basketball player Kaia Henderson. While Henderson started out at Ohio State, the two appeared to meet before their college days. Henderson and Styles attended prom together in 2022, so they are in a long-term relationship.
Who is Kaia Henderson?
Henderson is originally from Utica, New York, and spent her first two collegiate seasons at Ohio State before transferring to Boston College. She played sparingly for the Buckeyes but averaged close to 12 minutes per game in her first season with the Eagles after redshirting the 2024-25 season.
Where is Sonny Styles from?
Styles is from the Columbus metro area in Ohio, attending Pickerington High School Central in the suburbs of Columbus. Styles' father is also from Columbus and his parents met at Ohio State, so the family has had its roots planted in the area for a long time.
While Styles has been able to play close to home throughout his football career, the NFL Draft could force him into a new environment for the first time unless he ends up in the hands of the Browns or Bengals.
