COLLEGE CAREER – New Orleans selected Lorenzo Styles Jr. with their fifth round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The 6-0, 194-pound defender, who transferred to Ohio State after two seasons at Notre Dame playing wide receiver, is a sideline-to-sideline player with blazing speed and the ability to make athletic plays on both defense and special teams. In 2025, the Pickerington, Ohio. native appeared in 12 games for the Buckeyes and finished with 30 tackles (18 solo) with two pass breakups, returned one punt for 36 yards and bringing back a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown.
2025 – Played in 12 games with 11 starts, posting 30 tackles (18 solo), 1.5 stops for loss and two pass breakups. Returned two kickoffs for 116 yards, including one for a 100-yard touchdown, vs. UCLA, Nov. 15, the first by a Buckeye in 15 seasons…Finished with season seven tackles vs. Texas, Aug. 30. 2024 – Played in all 16 games as a reserve defensive back and on special teams for the 2024 College Football Playoff National Champions, posting 16 tackles (ten solo) and four pass breakups. 2023 – Made the transition to defensive back from wide receiver in his first season with the Buckeyes, appearing in seven games. 2022 – Played in all 13 games with eight starts at wide receiver for Notre Dame, finishing second on team in receiving, catching 30 passes for 340 yards and one TD…Played as a gunner on punt team that had 49 kicks that led to 28 fair catches and pinned the opponents inside the 20 yard-line in 21 occasions, recording one special teams tackle in Tax Slayer Bowl vs. South Carolina. 2021 – Played in all 13 games in his debut for the Irish in his rookie campaign, catching 24 passes for 344 yards (14.3 avg.) and one TD. Also had one rush for 37 yards.
PERSONAL – Attended Pickerington (Ohio) Central HS…Named the Ohio Capital Conference-Buckeye Player of the Year, All-Central District and Central District Player of the Year, all in 2020…Four-star recruit by 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN…Father, Lorenzo Styles Sr., played for Buckeyes for three seasons (1992-94) before a six-year NFL career with Atlanta and the St. Louis Rams that included a Super Bowl XXXIV championship with the Rams. Lorenzo Jr. received his draft call from Saints Senior Defensive Assistant Peter Giunta, who was Lorenzo Sr.'s defensive coordinator with the Rams…Big Ten Conference Distinguished Scholar graduated in April of 2025, alongside Lorenzo Sr., with his degree in consumer and family financial services…Was the 18th draft selection by the Saints all-time from Ohio State, surpassing Nebraska and Southern California as the school with the most Black and Gold picks…Was teammates with his younger brother, Sonny, who played linebacker for four seasons with the Buckeyes (2022-25) and was also picked in the 2026 NFL Draft (seventh overall by Washington Commanders).
