Ahead of his sophomore campaign at Ohio State, Eddrick Houston was set to make his breakout for the Buckeye football team.
After arriving in Columbus in 2024 as a five-star defensive line prospect out of Buford, Ga., Houston made a significant transition during his freshman year, shifting from defensive end inside to defensive tackle.
The move, though challenging, began to pay off late for Houston in Ohio State’s national championship-winning 2024-25 season, putting him in a position to start alongside Kayden McDonald entering 2025.
But just as Houston’s momentum at defensive tackle was building, adversity struck.
The 6-3, 292-pound Houston suffered an injury during Ohio State’s first fall practice in 2025, which he said led to a “slow start” to the season.
Houston said the injury, though frustrating, affected him more mentally than physically, adding that he felt he grew into his own as the season went on.
“90 percent of football is mental. That’s what I really struggled with, because I had a great offseason and then the first practice of fall, I came down with an injury,” Houston said. “So I was battling on that a lot. But I was able to keep going, keep practicing and towards the end of the season, you got a glimpse of what I can be.”
Houston spent most of his pre-college career on the edge and after joining the Buckeyes as the nation’s No. 26 overall prospect and No. 7 defensive lineman recruit in the class of 2024, he made the move just six weeks into his freshman campaign.
While Houston played in 14 games and took just 141 snaps in 2024-25 with just seven tackles and two breakups as a rotational piece, he was much more productive in 2025. Even with the injury limiting him early in the season and keeping him out for Ohio State’s 34-16 win over Illinois in Champaign, Ill., Houston’s production increased.
Though he was limited to 13 games in 2025, Houston played 323 snaps, second among Buckeye defensive tackles behind McDonald, while rotating in with senior Tywone Malone Jr. He finished his 2025 season with 21 total tackles, four tackles for loss, three sacks and a forced fumble.
That increased workload in 2025 reflected both his growing comfort level in the interior and the continued learning curve that came with the position change. Houston described the transition from defensive end to defensive tackle as an adjustment that didn’t happen overnight.
“It took a minute, because you can’t just switch positions. At defensive end, where I’m dropping in coverage, or on the edge, I have time to think about what I’m doing,” Houston said. “On the inside, everything is happening right away. You got stuff moving across your face and stuff like that. So it took a minute, I played defensive end my whole life and then at the last second I switched. But I don’t regret it, because I actually like playing 3-tech now. I have the weight, the physical and mental part of it, so it’s been great.”
While Houston’s injury was a minor setback in his second year learning a new position, Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson saw the tough stretch as a valuable period of growth.
Johnson noted that Houston still flashed his potential at defensive tackle as the regular season progressed.
“I think he grew a little bit. The setback put a lot of pressure on him to try to get it done. I think that now that he’s in the best position he can possibly be. He’s healthier, so now he’s got a chance to go really complete and play a lot of football for us,” Johnson said. “So I think last year was a learning experience for him. He got thrown in there real quick, and let’s go play. Then all of a sudden, now you go through the season and you’ve seen some bright moments. I think now he’s got to have all the moments going into the fall, so we’re really excited about that.”
Houston’s experience last season ultimately strengthened his confidence in both his health and his expanding role along Ohio State’s defensive front.
Now in his third year with the Buckeyes, the rising junior is focused on making the most of his opportunities while representing Ohio State with pride.
“Coming back from the type of injury I had, it was just good to be cautious, but at the same time, I felt like I was just declining the production, which was really bad,” Houston said. “This year, I’ve been focused on just the mental part, being able to keep going and regardless of what happened, knowing that God got me and that this year I’m not looking to let down any fans, teammates, or coaches.”
