Sonny Styles basketball career: Revisiting Ohio State star's highlights, recruiting, more about time playing hoops originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
After a glittering four-year career at Ohio State -- and an even more glint showcase at the 2026 NFL Combine -- Sonny Styles finds himself on the cusp of something special.
The 6-foot-4, 243-pound linebacker is slated to hear his name called in the opening paces of the NFL Draft. Formerly a safety, Styles' reputation as a tough tackler has followed him throughout his career. His athletic gifts have made him a fan and scout favorite during the pre-draft process.
Much of that skillset was forged on the hardwood, however. Before Styles was an NFL-caliber linebacker, he was a forward on his local high school's basketball team, known for dancing through traffic before throwing down dunks with authority.
With that, here's what you need to know about Styles' glittering high school basketball career.MORE 2026 NFL DRAFT: SN's 7-round mock | Top 140 big board | Expert mock draft roundup
Styles starred on the hardwood, emerging as a legitimate basketball prospect while attending Pickerington High School Central. A three-year starter for Central's basketball team, Styles helped lead the Tigers to a 2022 Division I state championship.
Styles' game was adorned with flourishes. He was rangy and athletic, routinely climbing the ladder to throw down two-handed jams or swat away opposition layups like flies.
While Styles' football prowess earned him the most plaudits -- he was a consensus five-star on the gridiron -- Styles commanded attention as a basketball player. He claimed all-district honors as a forward during his time at Central and earned three-star billing as a basketball prospect, according to ESPN. Rivals reported that Styles fielded "mid-major offers on the hardwood."
Styles' basketball legacy is enshrined by a simple, if unusual, fact. He prompted Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day to retire from the hardwood after besting him in memorable fashion as a teenager.
The story goes as follows: Day was recruiting Styles' older brother, Lorenzo. Sonny was waiting in the wings, fiddling with a basketball as a seventh or eighth grader. Day goaded the youngster into sharing the floor with him, hoping to showcase his might in one-on-one.
"He took two dribbles and dunked on me," Day said while appearing on ESPN's "This is Football." "That was the last time I played basketball, because an eighth grader dunked on me.”
While Styles earned five-star labels across all major recruiting databases in football, he "only" commanded three-star billing as a basketball recruit.
That was still enough for Styles to receive Division I basketball offers from Akron, Duquesne, Kent State, Ohio and Toledo, according to The Athletic.
Styles' game was decked in color. He was known for his high-flying acrobats -- particularly on fast breaks. Here's a look at his finest moments on the hardwood.