'21 OH WR Lorenzo Styles Jr. (Notre Dame Early Enrollee)

[ulukinatme]

I was very wrong on Styles projection for this year. I didn't anticipate the drop off from Coan hurting us this much with WR targets, I thought Styles would only improve on his numbers from last year. Seemed like he had a number of drops early and then we didn't look his way much after that as Pyne had up and down games. I hope he sticks around if Hartman is coming in, that could lead to a big season for him again.

 

[IA4irish]

Why not let him try defense here? He does not seem like a natural receiver. Any chance he could free safety?

 

[rtrn2glory]

If they ask him to switch positions I'd leave if I were him.

 

[stlnd01]

If they ask him to switch positions I'd leave if I were him.

He is our leading returning WR. Why would ND ask him to switch positions? Now, if Styles wants to switch positions - for a fresh start or whatever - ND should be open to it, especially given our light safety depth and all the young WRs coming up behind him.

Bottom line though, it’s hard to see him landing someplace equal/better as a WR. Maybe he could flip to defense and get on at Ohio State as a DB. But he could also do that here. Or he sticks as a WR for us and figures better QB play next season gives him more opportunities.

He had a disappointing year, especially the second half, but the kid plays hard. I hope he figures out a future for himself in blue and gold.

 

[rtrn2glory]

He does play very hard. He busted his ass hustling to help let diggs finish that long catch and run in the end zone.. Huge hustle play that doesn't show up on the stat sheet

 

[Luckylucci]

He looks tight. He either needs to lean up and work on his flexibility. Or, he needs to play defense. Watching him try to turn and catch the ball or get in and out his breaks is painful.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

He looks tight. He either needs to lean up and work on his flexibility. Or, he needs to play defense. Watching him try to turn and catch the ball or get in and out his breaks is painful.

It's so weird because last year he looked like he could catch and accelerate effortlessly, now he just looks different. Granted, he rarely caught the ball so I guess that's a part of it.

I wish he'd stick it out at ND but it's his life.

 

[Te'o4Heisman]

Might be nothing but the look on his phase in the position group photo post Gator Bowl doesn’t look like a kid who’s happy or having fun.

 

[allenm5333]

Might be nothing but the look on his phase in the position group photo post Gator Bowl doesn’t look like a kid who’s happy or having fun.

Man, I take 0 stock in that. HS-College kids make dumb faces. Period haha

 

[Grahambo]

He looks tight. He either needs to lean up and work on his flexibility. Or, he needs to play defense. Watching him try to turn and catch the ball or get in and out his breaks is painful.

Pretty much this. Add in rocks for hands, OSU ain’t fixing all of that.

People need to stop using his FR year as a meter stick. His numbers are inflated from the Oklahoma State game. He was given a limited amount of routes to run and I don’t recall him being used on many run plays.

This season, he had to run the entire route tree while understanding run blocking, etc. Basically having to learn and use the whole playbook. That could’ve added to the stiffness meaning he’s thinking too much but the ultimate killer are the drops. Way too many easy drops.

Could he be better next season with Hartman? Yes. But he also may not be a good WR. It happens. But he could also be a good safety.

Absolutely want him staying though.

 

[notredomer23]

FWIW, he added 4 IG posts back all of which are ND related. His twitter profile has ND in it.

I am sure he's frustrated with his performance or lack there of. Hopefully that fuels him into a monster off season.

 

[ulukinatme]

FWIW, he added 4 IG posts back all of which are ND related. His twitter profile has ND in it.

I am sure he's frustrated with his performance or lack there of. Hopefully that fuels him into a monster off season.

With OSU's WR room being so deep I would think he stands a much better chance of sticking around and having a big breakout year next year. One way or another the QB situation should be improved next year I would think. We're going to see the ball get spread around with Mayer gone and likely a more experienced QB under center. No one stands to benefit more in that situation than Styles if he's still the best on roster. We'll see if that's still the case, Thomas has certainly started to emerge as a consistent guy.

 

[irishfan]

As others said, he really didn’t look right this season. I’m not exactly sure what he does well based solely on the 2022 season/film. I certainly want him back based on his potential, but this was just such a lost year compared to his freshman season where he really flashed. This wasn’t just a matter of QB play as their wasn’t much designed to him in the way of sweeps, scenes, or quick/short passes. Hoping he was fighting a nagging injury all year and he’s back 100% soon.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

As others said, he really didn’t look right this season. I’m not exactly sure what he does well based solely on the 2022 season/film. I certainly want him back based on his potential, but this was just such a lost year compared to his freshman season where he really flashed. This wasn’t just a matter of QB play as their wasn’t much designed to him in the way of sweeps, scenes, or quick/short passes. Hoping he was fighting a nagging injury all year and he’s back 100% soon.

There were plenty of early plays that were drawn up for him or where he was the first read. He was given opportunities to warm-up, build faith in the coaches and every time that i can remember, he failed. We needed him this year and he failed to deliver. I'd love to see him revamp himself into the player I thought he could be.

Maybe some tunnel screens, sweeps, etc will allow him to grow into that role.

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

With OSU's WR room being so deep I would think he stands a much better chance of sticking around and having a big breakout year next year. One way or another the QB situation should be improved next year I would think. We're going to see the ball get spread around with Mayer gone and likely a more experienced QB under center. No one stands to benefit more in that situation than Styles if he's still the best on roster. We'll see if that's still the case, Thomas has certainly started to emerge as a consistent guy.

I like Styles but he isn’t sniffing the field at OSU

 

[Irish4life]

Styles staying according to O'Malley on Irish Illustrated's podcast

 

[Luckylucci]

Would be huge. Any talk about position switch?

 

[NDFAN2008]

Wonder what the coaches said to him to convince him to stay, if anyone remembers him and Lenzy were kinda in the same position during their sophmore years.

 

[ab2cmiller]

Wonder what the coaches said to him to convince him to stay, if anyone remembers him and Lenzy were kinda in the same position during their sophmore years.

Most likely it was ..... we have Hartman coming and he's going to be able to get you the ball consistently.

 

[Irish#1]

WRs that can't catch are meant to be DBs..so if he moves to that side of the ball great, if not...see ya on the flip side.

Does that mean BenMo needs a position change? lol

 

[Irish#1]

He looks tight. He either needs to lean up and work on his flexibility. Or, he needs to play defense. Watching him try to turn and catch the ball or get in and out his breaks is painful.

I get where you're coming from, but if either of those is the case, then Balis or whomever on the S&C staff is responsible for him isn't properly recognizing his development.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

I want to see Lorenzo come back and have a breakout junior season. His acceleration is special and I think he can be a huge piece for us with another offseason to get himself right. And Stuckey can certainly help him get past this minor bump in the road.

 

[FWIrish4]

Sophomore slumps happen. They’re easier to see and shrug off in baseball with good players. I think the same mindset is due here as sometimes players just have bad seasons. We’ve seen the good so hopefully an off-season reset gets us back the explosive playmaker we saw glimpses of his freshman year!

 

[CanadalovesND]

Who was the last sophomore, who flashed as a freshman, to struggle in the following season? Or some notable players.

 

[notredomer23]

Who was the last sophomore, who flashed as a freshman, to struggle in the following season? Or some notable players.

Duval Kamara. Good freshman year considering the shit show that was 2007. Never matched that production.

 

[rtrn2glory]

I find it very hard to believe that he had 30 catches this year. I can't remember him being involved much at all, which is very unfortunate. Who would've dreamed his very first catch against OSU would be his longest play of the season?

 

[Crazy Balki]

Who was the last sophomore, who flashed as a freshman, to struggle in the following season? Or some notable players.

Not WR, but I recall Jerry Tillery looking like a budding star as a freshman, only to struggle as a sophomore, capped off by his classless display vs. USC, then turned around in 2017 and turned himself into a 1st rounder.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

So, let's say he transfers.

Did Del have any recruits that graduated?

 

[CanadalovesND]

So, let's say he transfers.

Did Del have any recruits that graduated?

Wilkins & Lenzy would have been the only two on this years roster that fit that description.

 

[Dale]

Not to be a downer but O Malley said we were told at the end of November or early December he’s staying and he’s gotten nothing new to say that has changed

It wasn’t a declarative piece of new information. He ain’t clearly gone but I don’t know that he’s clearly staying either.