Ohio State enters 2023 On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Ranking at No. 4

Ohio State still has a big game to play against Purdue on Saturday afternoon but the Buckeyes have already picked up a huge win.

Five-star athlete Sonny Styles announced his commitment to Ohio State over Clemson, Florida, Notre Dame and Ole Miss.

“The addition of Sonny Styles is about as big as it gets for Ohio State,” Lettermen Row’s Jeremy Birmingham said. “He was unequivocally the most important player to land in the Class of 2023.”

He joins Independence (Thompson’s Station, TN) four-star tight end Ty Lockwood and Dayton (Ohio) Wayne four-star interior offensive lineman Josh Padilla in the Buckeyes recruiting class.

With three commits in the class, Ohio State is now eligible to enter the 2023 On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Ranking.

And the Buckeyes slot in as the No. 4 overall class in the cycle behind Oklahoma, Georgia and Notre Dame. All three of those schools have double the amount of commits as the Ohio State.

The Buckeyes also hold the No. 4 ranking in the 2022 On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Ranking

Ohio State’s class enters the rankings so high because of Styles, who is the second consensus five-star recruit to commit this cycle after Sooners quarterback commit Malachi Nelson.

“Ohio State is just a special place,” Styles told Lettermen Row. “They offered me pretty early, like right after my first game and I can’t forget that. They were ready to call me before I even got home.”

Styles is the son of former Ohio State linebacker Lorenzo Styles Sr. and younger brother of Fighting Irish wideout Lorenzo Styles Jr.

The On3 Consensus – a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies – ranks Styles are the No. 8 overall recruit in the country. He is the third-ranked player in the 2023 On300.

Lockwood is No. 191 player and Padilla is the No. 224 prospect in the On3 Consensus.

On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power called Styles a defensive unicorn because of his versatility and unique skillset.

“Sonny Styles has the fluidity of a defensive back in the body of a potential pass rusher. He is a loose, highly-coordinated athlete. A quick look at his backpedal and change-of-direction in defensive back drills should answer any questions in that regard,” Power said. “Most importantly, the burst and movement skills show up on the field on Friday nights.”