Eddrick Houston’s move to defensive tackle was prompted by a need for short-term depth, but early returns suggest it could be a fruitful move for his long-term future.
The No. 2 spot on Ohio State’s 3-technique depth chart was a revolving door in the first half of the season with Hero Kanu, Tywone Malone and Jason Moore all holding that spot at one point or another. None of them asserted themselves in a way that allowed any of them to earn consistent playing time, and Tyleik Williams’ absence from the interior defensive line was noticeable when that trio had to fill in for him in Ohio State’s third and fourth games of the season against Marshall and Michigan State.
As such, Ohio State made the midseason decision to move Houston – who had played only sparingly in the first half of the season as the Buckeyes’ sixth defensive end – inside to bolster its 3-technique depth. The five-star freshman quickly emerged as Williams’ top backup at the position, leading to his opportunity to make his first career start last week against Purdue when Williams was sidelined by another injury suffered late in the Buckeyes’ win over Penn State.
With Houston in the defensive tackle lineup alongside Ty Hamilton, Williams’ absence wasn’t as glaring as it was during the two games he missed earlier in the year. The freshman made one major mistake when he shoved a Purdue offensive lineman into the ground after the whistle, giving the Boilermakers 15 yards and a free first down for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after a third-down sack by Sonny Styles. But he showed stoutness as a run defender and flashed his ability to shed blocks and make plays as he recorded three tackles within three yards of the line of scrimmage.
RB is STONEWALLED by true freshman Eddrick Houston pic.twitter.com/6Wi5AIHPlg
— Brodie (@BrodieKnowsBall) November 10, 2024
Ohio State shut out Purdue while holding the Boilermakers to only 206 yards of offense. Houston’s performance in 27 snaps played a meaningful role in the Buckeyes getting their second shutout of the season, even with their top defensive tackle watching from the sidelines.
“There was obviously the one silly penalty that he'll have to learn from. But overall, I thought there was really a lot of flashes there for somebody who's not played inside a whole bunch in his career,” Ryan Day said Tuesday when evaluating Houston’s performance against Purdue. “He's got strength, he's got power. He ran to the football. Didn't quite grade out (as a champion), but I think there's a really bright future there at 3-technique for Eddrick.”
Day offered more praise for Houston on his radio show Thursday, saying he has fully embraced his move inside to defensive tackle and believes that has led to early success in his new role.
“When you're a defensive end, it's different than when you're playing inside. You have to embrace it, and that's the first thing,” Day said. “We saw some things in him skill-wise that led us to think that he could be an elite 3-technique. And he's only gotten better. Every time you get in the game, you have an opportunity to make a name for yourself. Every time you're in practice, you've got to use it as an opportunity. So we've seen quickness, athleticism, power. He's continuing to learn how to play the position, but we're seeing a lot of positive things there and excited about his future.”
“I think there's a really bright future there at 3-technique for Eddrick.”– Ryan Day on Eddrick Houston’s move to defensive tackle
Houston isn’t the first Ohio State defensive lineman to be recruited by Larry Johnson as a defensive end but end up moving to defensive tackle early in his career. One of the most successful examples was Dre’Mont Jones, who went on to become an All-Big Ten DT for the Buckeyes and a third-round selection in the 2019 NFL draft, now in his sixth year in the league. A more recent example was Hamilton, who was also recruited as a DE but ended up moving all the way inside to nose tackle, where he’s become one of the best NTs in college football as a fifth-year senior.
Like Day, Hamilton said the key to success in making that move was embracing the position change and trusting Johnson’s plan for his development.
“Coach J has his ways. You may not always see it from the start. I mean, I thought I was going to play defensive end when I first got here, and now I'm playing nose tackle,” Hamilton said last week. “By moving Eddrick in there, it's just giving him more opportunity to be in the game sooner, be able to play more .... Eddrick just embraced it full-heartedly because he knows that Coach J is here for him.”
Several other Ohio State players, including defensive end Jack Sawyer and center Seth McLaughlin, said they’ve seen Houston improve rapidly since he made the move inside.
“He's done a really good job,” McLaughlin said last week. “He's a big, strong guy. He's young, but he's improving, and that's all you can ask from a guy like that to come in and get meaningful reps in games like that.”
While Ohio State’s defensive veterans like Sawyer and linebacker Cody Simon told Houston his penalty in last week’s game was a mistake that he needs to learn from, they trust that he will and that he will keep getting better as he gets more opportunities to play.
“One of the things I love about Eddrick is his aggressiveness. He's not afraid to go make a play,” Simon said. “And whatever happens, if he doesn't make a play, it's fine. Because I'd rather have someone be more aggressive than someone be more passive. So for him, I mean, he's playing his tail off right now. And I'm just happy he's doing it. And we're just working to try to get better every day.”
The door remains open for Houston to potentially move back outside after this season. He had flashed in limited action on the edge early in his freshman season, too, and there will be an opening for playing time at DE next season when Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau are in the NFL. Assuming he stays at DT, however, he’s likely the frontrunner to be Ohio State’s starting 3-technique next season when Williams is also in the NFL – and that might be the role in which his ceiling is highest.
“I'm not saying that maybe down the road we wouldn't move him back outside, but I think he realizes when you go from being a very athletic and strong defensive end and now moving inside, now you become elite as a 3-technique because you have that speed and quickness, and he does have the power to hold the point of attack,” Day said of Houston, who is currently listed at 6-foot-3 and 270 pounds.
For now, the focus is on where Houston can help Ohio State the most this season, which is on the interior with the Buckeyes having stronger depth outside. Williams is expected to return to the starting lineup this week against Northwestern, but Ohio State is counting on Houston to be a player it can rely on in its defensive tackle rotation as it enters the most important part of its season.
“He's young, so he's going to have to continue to learn. He's going to make plays. He's going to make some mistakes. And he's got to grow up quickly because we need him. But I think his future’s very, very bright here at Ohio State,” Day said. “I think he can be a very, very good player. And I think he could be a really dynamic 3-technique for us.”
