Former eight-year NFL linebacker James Laurinaitis has been the linebacker coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes since 2024. Laurinaitis’s tutelage and perspective as a former, highly successful NFL linebacker helped mold Sonny Styles, who transitioned from Safety to the second level in his first year as the Buckeyes’ linebacker coach. Laurinaitis was banging the table for the transition and knew very early that Styles’s highest ceiling moving forward came by switching to linebacker, and it is already paying dividends with being drafted seventh overall in the NFL draft.
Laurinaitis joined us on the latest Trap or Dive Podcast and broke down what makes Sonny Styles special and his readiness for the next level. If you ask James, it took some time for Styles to truly understand the physical gift that he possesses. “I think Sonny’s last three or four games were his most physical at Ohio State,” Laurinaitis said on what stood out to him on Styles. “I think there came a time in the season where he figured out that he’s a grown man and has grown man strength and can throw his weight around on top of the athlete he is.”
His rapid development over two years has been impressive to those at Ohio State, and it has helped them understand just how naturally playing linebacker came to Styles. “Whether it’s counter or whether we’re getting inside zone or stretch — all the little tells that offenses tell on themselves a lot of the time — you try to put that on his plate, and nothing was ever too much.”
Styles is the type of player, James believes, who will wear Dan Quinn and Daronte Jones out attempting to learn the scheme inside and out, which is a good thing for a player expected to wear the green dot.
You can listen to the full Trap or Dive episode below. We also discussed:
- Commanders and Stefon Diggs may have mutual interest
- More Stefon Diggs v. Brandon Aiyuk
- Full James Laurinaitis interview
Podcast:
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