Notre Dame Football Recruiting: 5-Star Sonny Styles commits to Ohio State over the Irish

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish took a loss off the field on Saturday. 5-Star defensive stud Sonny Styles announced his commitment to stay in state for his collegiate career with the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Styles is listed as a safety by the recruiting services, but he could develop into a linebacker in college thanks to his incredible size and physical play.

To be honest... this comes as a big surprise. No, I’m not surprised that Styles chose his father’s alma mater (one of the best programs over the last 20 years) over his older brother’s school. I’m surprised that he chose to make his commitment this early in the recruiting process. Sonny is a 2023 recruit, and won’t be able to sign his NLI until December of 2022.

As insane as it sounds — I really thought it was possible for the Irish to land the top three prospects in Ohio for the 2023 class.

Styles is the #1 player in the state of Ohio, and the Irish already have a commitment from #2 Brennan Vernon, and there’s at least a chance for #3 Luke Montgomery.

With all of that said, there is still plenty of time for the Irish to possibly change the young Styles’s mind — and should work harder to do just that.

Regardless of the bad news, it’s a big day for Sonny and his family, and I congratulate him on his decision.