Lorenzo Styles Jr. is expected to help the New Orleans Saints cover punts and kickoffs, but he's had some highlights in the return game himself. The former Ohio State Buckeyes standout was picked by the Saints in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, and he'll need to make a big impact on special teams to make it through roster cuts in September.
It makes sense to work him in on special teams; at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, with 4.2 speed in the 40-yard dash, he's got all the athletic traits you look for in a gunner. His former teams thought the same. Of his 495 career special teams snaps between Ohio State and Notre Dame, Styles has been on the field for 93 kickoffs in his college career, but he typically worked on the blocking unit, not as the returner. He only got five return opportunities over those five years. But he made this one count against UCLA last season. Just ask Ohio State coach Ryan Day.
"We put that return in this week and we knew we may not get too many opportunities at it," Day chuckled. "When it was taken out a yard or two in the end zone, Lorenzo said 'Once I took it out I knew I had to return it for a touchdown, so I better get running.' He didn't have a choice, I agreed with him. But it's just the buy-in from everybody, that's how it works. 'Cause all it just takes one guy. How many times have you heard a return 'If we just made one more block it would've gone?' that's what it takes. When special teams can flip a game like that certainly it makes a difference."
It's debatable how much this single play flipped the game; UCLA had just scored their own touchdown, putting the score at a lopsided 34-7. Styles responded immediately with this touchdown on the following kickoff, and Ohio State won the game 48-10. Hopefully some of those one-sided wins are in Styles' future with the Saints, too.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Ohio State HC Ryan Down recaps Lorenzo Styles Jr.'s 102-yard return TD
