James Laurinaitis Saw Sonny Styles’ Future at Linebacker Before Everyone Else

Ohio State Buckeyes linebackers coach James Laurinaitis high fives players during the NCAA football game against the Grambling State Tigers at Ohio Stadium on Sept. 6, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images 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 S