It’s been a relatively drama-free preseason camp for Ohio State so far.
Well, except for the first day.
On the Buckeyes’ opening day of practice on July 31, Eddrick Houston suffered a knee injury that caused him to miss several practices. Any missed time in-season could have been disastrous, as interior defensive line depth is considered by many to be Ohio State’s biggest question mark on defense entering the 2025 season. Fortunately, reports surfaced later that evening indicating the injury was minor, and Houston himself shrugged off any concerns that the setback might linger into the season.
“I feel good,” Houston told reporters Thursday. “I’ll be ready for week one.”
If once wasn’t enough, Houston echoed “I’ll be ready” repeatedly throughout his eight-minute interview at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, and minimized the impact the injury had on him. Though he declined to reveal what the specific injury in question was, Houston said the setback occurred when he took a wrong step, leading to a short rehab stint before an eventual return to practice.
Although he was still wearing a brace on his knee as of Thursday, Houston said he doesn’t expect to be limited or on a snap count on Aug. 30 against the Longhorns.
“It was a little minor setback, but it feels great to be back on the field and being able to contribute and build these calisthenics for week one,” Houston said.
Ohio State exhaled a deep sigh of relief upon learning Houston’s prognosis, considering the Buckeyes expect him to be an anchor of their interior defensive line this season along with defensive tackle Kayden McDonald.
“He's a freak athlete,” McDonald said of Houston. “He was a d-end first, and now he's a three-technique, which makes him more versatile at the three-technique. He's just ready.”
Houston started his true freshman season attempting to crack the two-deep at defensive end, but eventually carved out a rotational role for himself in the second half of the season following a transition to the interior defensive line. The five-star talent recorded seven total tackles and two pass deflections in 2024 and will likely start alongside McDonald against the Longhorns.
“I think he’s got a chance to be really special,” OSU defensive line coach Larry Johnson said. “I think he’s got a chance. But again, he’s a young player learning how to develop. I don’t want to put all that pressure on him like he’s got to do this. He’s just got to play to his ability. If he can do that, he’ll give himself a chance to play really, really solid.”
Houston’s work ethic and tenacity have drawn rave reviews from his fellow teammates.
“Eddrick is one of those guys that, I mean, he’s a fierce competitor,” defensive end Caden Curry said. “He fights. He plays hard every single play. He does his job.”
Minor injury aside, Houston and his teammates have heard the outside noise from analysts raising question marks about Ohio State’s interior defensive line this season. He said they haven’t used the criticism as fuel, but the Buckeyes are dedicated to showcasing the unit as a strength this season.
“We kind of heard it, but we push it aside because if we play as one, we can be the best that we can,” Houston said. “And that’s what we work towards every day. Just being able to be our best day in and day out.”
Houston hopes to show just how much the unit has grown in a little more than two weeks from now.
