Four days out from his first-ever college football game, Sonny Styles is "officially" a Buckeye.
The five-star freshman safety and No. 27 overall prospect in the 2021 class shed his black stripe Tuesday, becoming the ninth freshman to do so since the start of the year.
Styles is the first Buckeye to see his black stripe removed since Aug. 20, when four Buckeyes – Kyion Grayes, Dallan Hayden, Joop Mitchell and Kenyatta Jackson – all received the honor following an Ohio State practice.
The Pickerington Central product enrolled in the summer but has quickly impressed first-year defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who said the 6-foot-4 safety could be a "secret weapon" for the Buckeye defense in the future.