NEED TO KNOW

• Sonny Styles’ brother is New Orleans Saints safety Lorenzo Styles Jr.

• The siblings played football together at Ohio State University, where their dad also played

• They entered the NFL Draft together in 2026

Alexander “Sonny” Styles shares his love of football with his older brother, Lorenzo Styles Jr.

Sonny plays for the Washington Commanders after being selected seventh overall in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Lorenzo also plays in the NFL, as a defensive back for the New Orleans Saints. The brothers also shared the field for three seasons at Ohio State University — a.k.a. their dad’s alma mater — from 2023 to 2025.

“That’s my best friend, my role model,” Sonny told the NFL of his brother in April 2026 shortly after being drafted. “Chasing after him is a big reason why I’m here today, so I appreciate him.”

Here’s everything to know about Sonny Styles’ brother, Lorenzo Styles Jr.

Lorenzo and Sonny were born and raised in Ohio

Lorenzo was born on Sept. 9, 2002, in Columbus, Ohio, and grew up in the nearby suburb of Pickerington with his parents, Lorenzo Sr. and Laverna, his brother Sonny and their two sisters.

From a young age, football was a big part of the brothers’ childhood. They grew up running drills and honing their skills alongside their father, and also spent plenty of time cheering on their dad’s alma mater, OSU.

“Growing up, watching Ohio State football … I remember seeing them beat Oregon in the national championship,” Sonny told 247 Sports in May 2025. “As a younger kid, I envisioned being able to complete that goal.”

Their dad was a professional football player

Sonny and Lorenzo’s father played football at OSU for three seasons and was later drafted by the Atlanta Falcons as a third-round pick in the 1995 NFL Draft. He spent two seasons with the team before being traded to the St. Louis Rams. He remained with the team for four seasons, during which he helped the Rams win the Super Bowl in 2000.

After retiring from the NFL, the elder Lorenzo began his coaching career, spending one year at Ohio Dominican University and several years with teams in the Continental Indoor Football League. He is now a defensive analyst for the Bowling Green Falcons at Bowling Green State University.

Lorenzo began his college career at Notre Dame

In 2021, Lorenzo began his college career as a wide receiver for Notre Dame. After spending two seasons with the Fighting Irish, he entered the NCAA transfer portal and soon joined his brother, Sonny, at OSU.

“Ohio State reached out to him and we were like, ‘Come home first [and look at OSU]. Let’s meet with Coach Day. Let’s meet with Tim Walton. And after you meet with him, if you still want to go on visits, we’ll go on visits for other schools,’ ” Laverna recalled to 247 Sports in May 2025. “Ohio State brought him in. He met with Coach Walton, and from that moment on, we just knew this was the place for him. He didn’t even go on any other visits.”

Lorenzo spent the remaining three years of his college football career at his dad’s alma mater.

“The experience as a whole has been just transformative to who I am today as a man and just like all that I really had to go through. I had to start at the bottom of the depth chart and I had to work my way up just to even be here in this moment,” he told 247 Sports in May 2025. “I’m just so grateful for everything that I’ve learned from this experience. I feel like it’s equipped me to be ready for the NFL.”

He and Sonny were teammates at Ohio State University

Sonny had been playing for OSU for one year when Lorenzo transferred to the school in 2023. The following year, the brothers took the Buckeyes all the way to the national championship.

“I think it means a lot to the state of Ohio,” Lorenzo told 247 Sports in May 2025 of their big win. “It just shows not only like the football team being resilient, but we’re also like a reflection of the state, just showing, like, how the state’s resilient. It’s everything we had to battle for just being a reflection of the entire state. Just going to keep fighting our butt off.”

Lorenzo graduated from college alongside his father

Following their national championship win, Lorenzo graduated from OSU in May 2025, while Sonny finished that December. At the graduation ceremony in May, Lorenzo was joined on-stage by his dad, who also earned his degree after leaving school in 1995 to enter the NFL Draft.

“Once we got everybody out of high school and into college, he decided to go back,” Laverna explained to 247 Sports. “I’m like, ‘Hey, now let’s invest in you.’ He went back in 2023, so he’s been in there for two years. We’re just proud of him and proud of Lorenzo, too. It was just a really special day to have both of them together.”

“It was awesome,” the younger Lorenzo told the outlet. “I think it just goes to show us about our legacy and the importance of education in our family.”

He’s been dating his girlfriend for over three years

Lorenzo is currently dating Emma Wagner, and the couple have the kept the details of their relationship out of the spotlight.

In January 2024, Lorenzo celebrated their first anniversary with a photo dump on Instagram. “One year with my pretty lady. I love you baby !” he wrote.

In April 2026, Wagner was by Lorenzo’s side when he celebrated his participation in the 2026 NFL Draft. The football player marked the milestone with another slew of photos on Instagram, including a Polaroid of him and Wagner.

“Thank God for all the L’s, looking back they put me in position for my blessings,” he wrote in his caption. “WHY NOT ME ???”

Read the original article on People