Ohio State opened its season with junior Kayden McDonald and sophomore Eddrick Houston as its starting defensive tackles.
However, the Buckeyes have seemingly made a shift at one of its defensive tackle spots in their last two outings.
Senior defensive tackle Tywone Malone Jr. has stepped into the role of Ohio State’s second defensive tackle alongside McDonald after impressing early in the season.
The Jamesburg, N.J. native played in 14 snaps in the Buckeyes’ season opening win against Texas, while Houston played 39 downs, though those roles have seemingly swapped.
As penalty problems plagued Houston in Week 2 against Grambling State, the pair split snaps (18 apiece) in Ohio State’s Week 3 victory over Ohio. Malone finished with three tackles (one solo), while Houston had just one.
Head coach Ryan Day said Malone delivered one of his stronger outings of the season against the Bobcats, adding that his presence as an extra reliable piece will be vital for the Buckeyes front four going forward.
“I thought Tywone took a step in the game,” Day said. “I thought he played well. He still has some things that I know Coach Larry Johnson is working on to get him to play better, but he did some nice things in the game. I think he graded out (as champion), so that’s big as we need that position to continue to build depth and play at a high level.”
Day said that while Malone’s development has been key, Houston and junior defensive tackle Will Smith Jr. will also remain vital contributors with a long season still ahead.
“Eddrick still played and Will still played,” Day said.”We didn’t have a ton of snaps on defense. We’ll have a lot more here moving forward, so we’re gonna need everybody.”
In the Buckeyes 24-6 Week 4 win over Washington, that time share turned to the favor of Malone. In a career-high 31 snaps, compared to Houston’s 11, Malone recorded three tackles (one solo), while his counterpart did not record a stat.
Though Day has been adamant about the importance of depth at defensive tackle — with Houston continuing to rotate in as the backup 3-technique — Malone earned the start over the sophomore for the second week in a row, putting himself in position to become Ohio State’s No. 2 defensive tackle moving forward.
