Notre Dame Football Recruiting: Breaking Down 2021 Wide Receiver Commitment Lorenzo Styles

The Columbus area native, Lorenzo Styles, committed to Notre Dame football over several offers, including the hometown team Ohio State Buckeyes.

Writer’s note: Over the next few weeks, I will review the 2021 Notre Dame football recruiting class and all of its commitments – giving a detailed breakdown of each Irish pledge. Today, Lorenzo Styles.

Lorenzo Styles, a 6-1 170-pound pass catcher from Pickerington Central High School, committed to the Irish on Oct. 13, 2019. The state champion football player held offers from 18 schools including Auburn, Florida, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State. What will Styles bring to the Fighting Irish when he dons a golden dome in 2021?

Recruit Rankings

According to the 247Sports Composite, Styles ranks as the 106th prospect and 19th Wide Receiver in the 2021 class. Rivals ranks Styles highest, 39th overall. 247Sports and ESPN list him lower at 125th and 243rd respectively. So, what does the film tell us about Styles – borderline 5-star prospect or solid 4-star player?

Film Review

Pickerington Central won state titles in 2017 and 2019. Styles played roles in both championships including a 49-yard go-ahead touchdown reception with 3 minutes and 41 seconds left. Both of these titles were won at the highest level of football in the state of Ohio. It demonstrates he can make big plays against the best competition in the biggest games.

Styles is a playmaker. Pickerington Central uses him in lot of different ways. He catches screens, passes downfield, and takes handoffs and jet sweeps. His speed looks effortless. His film makes this abundantly clear – like the 49-yard touchdown reception in the state championship. He easily outruns defenders who are straining to keep the angle. His verified 4.47 40-yard dash shows that he is a potential burner at the next level. With a little bit of strength training in college, he might see his time dip in the 4.3s.

Historical Context

Projecting Wide Receivers to the next level is difficult. Pass catchers ranked around the Top 100 have varied success at Notre Dame. For example, Davaris Daniels, ranked 93rd overall, found success at Notre Dame – racking up over 1,000 yards in two season. On the other hand, Justin Brent, ranked 95th overall, never registered a significant stat. In the middle, Javon McKinley, ranked 114th overall, found moderate success on the field – collecting 11 receptions for 268 yards and 4 touchdowns. A significant number of players, Bennett Jackson, Austin Collinsworth and James Onwualu, moved to defense. Styles appears to have all the tools but that might not be a strong indicator of success at the next level.

Bottom Line

The Irish scored with Lorenzo Styles. If Notre Dame lands other Wide Receivers in the class, his commitment will be perceived better. Originally, Deion Colzie was in the class and the pair looked like a dynamic duo. With Notre Dame potentially adding Pace Academy (GA) Wide Receiver Jayden Thomas, Styles may find his running mate for the future.

However, will Styles maintain his commitment until signing day in December? Rumor continue to swirl that Michigan might be his final destination.

Notre Dame needs to hold on to a player of Styles caliber. He might not be the next CeeDee Lamb or Jerry Jeudy but his presence with other solid Wide Receivers could make him extremely productive and a great target for Quarterback Tyler Buchner.