Over the past few weeks, we’ve taken a look back at what we saw from every Ohio State position group this spring and looked ahead at each position’s outlook for the season as summer workouts get going in Columbus.
Spring Recaps
After looking at all five position groups on offense and the other four units on defense, we’re wrapping up our position-by-position Spring Recap series with a look at the Buckeyes’ defensive tackles, where Ohio State has at least four candidates to play major roles this season – highlighted by a pair of former five-star recruits looking to realize their full potential as upperclassmen – but some uncertainty lingers about who the Buckeyes can rely on as every-down difference-makers on their interior defensive line.
Spring Standouts
James Smith
A former five-star recruit who was ranked as the No. 27 overall prospect in the 2023 class and the No. 26 overall player in 247Sports’ transfer portal rankings this offseason, Smith put his elite talent on display this spring.
The Alabama transfer, who had one of the most attention-grabbing quotes of the spring when he said “everything is so much faster” at Ohio State, looked like he belonged in Columbus from his first practice as a Buckeye. Built like an NFL defensive tackle at 6-foot-2 and 314 pounds, Smith flashed plenty of ability to disrupt plays at the line of scrimmage along with a violent on-field demeanor this spring.
Smith never quite became a consistently dominant player in Tuscaloosa, and he still has to prove he can be that as a Buckeye, as Larry Johnson said Smith was a “work in progress” this spring as he adapted to the Ohio State standard, in which Johnson expects players to “play hard every play.” But Smith’s combination of size, power and explosiveness stood out among his peers this spring, and with a full summer to still hone his technique with Johnson, he looks more than capable of emerging as one of the Big Ten’s top defensive tackles in his final season of college football.
Eddrick Houston
Many of the same things that can be written about Smith can also be said about Houston. Like Smith, Houston is a former five-star recruit – the No. 26 overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting class – with the physical tools often seen in early-round NFL draft picks. Also like Smith, Houston hasn’t yet consistently played up to his potential, even though he’s flashed plenty of playmaking ability through two years at Ohio State.
That said, Houston looked and sounded ready to be the leader of Ohio State’s interior defensive line this spring, winning many of his battles in the trenches during open practices while acknowledging that he needs to be better than he was a year ago, when he lost his starting job due to poor play early in the season after missing most of preseason camp with an injury.
“I don't think I played the best I could,” Houston said. “I feel as though I started off very slow. I feel like I let down the fans, my coaches and my teammates as well.”
Johnson was pleased with Houston’s growth this spring and believes the junior, who started his Ohio State career at defensive end before moving inside midway through his freshman year, is ready to take a big step forward in year three.
“I think that now that he's in the best position possible, he's healthy, now he's got a chance to play a lot of football for us,” Johnson said. “I think last year was a learning experience for him. ... You saw some bright moments. I think now he's gotta have all the moments going into the fall. So I'm really excited about that.”
Two Lingering Questions
1. How effectively can this unit replace Kayden McDonald?
Houston and Smith look like Ohio State’s two best defensive tackles, but both of them primarily play the 3-technique position. Smith has the size to play nose tackle if the Buckeyes want to get both of them on the field together, while Will Smith Jr. and John Walker will likely be Ohio State’s primary nose tackles, but none of them bring the same size to the position as the 6-foot-3, 326-pound McDonald.
Considering how dominant McDonald was last season, earning unanimous All-American honors as he recorded a whopping 65 tackles, no individual Ohio State defensive tackle should be expected to singlehandedly replace McDonald this season. The question is whether a combination of them can come close to replicating McDonald’s impact in the middle of the defensive line.
Smith Jr. and Walker both had solid springs, but it would take a massive leap from one or both of them to become an All-American like McDonald was last year. Houston and James Smith could help make up for that if they can become the dominant players they’re capable of being, but the emergence of consistent run stoppers at DT will be critical, especially now that Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese are no longer manning the linebacker positions.
2. How deep will Ohio State’s DT rotation go?
Ohio State utilized a four-man defensive tackle rotation last year with McDonald playing a majority of snaps at nose tackle, Tywone Malone Jr. and Houston rotating at 3-technique and Smith Jr. playing backup snaps behind McDonald. A four-man rotation seems likely again this year, likely with a fairly even divide of snaps between Houston, Walker and the Smiths – at least until a clear star emerges from the group – as Johnson looks to keep his DTs fresh over the course of the season.
The wild card at the position is Jason Moore, who remains with the Buckeyes for his redshirt junior season despite playing only irregularly over the last three years. A spot on the two-deep seems unlikely for Moore, especially since he plays the same position as Houston and James Smith, but he was disruptive during several of the practices that were open to media this spring, showing some of the talent that made him a top-75 overall recruit in 2023 and could make him a sleeper candidate for a breakout season, even if only in a limited capacity.
Projected Depth Chart
3-Technique
1. Eddrick Houston
2. James Smith
3. Jason Moore
4. Damari Simeon
Nose Tackle
1. John Walker
2. Will Smith Jr.
3. Jamir Perez
4. Emanuel Ruffin
As noted above, Houston and Smith project as Ohio State’s top two defensive tackles, but both primarily play 3-technique. There will very likely be situations where both of them are on the field together, but based on how they were used in the spring game, the initial plan seems to be for Houston and Smith to rotate at their natural position while Walker and Smith split snaps at nose tackle.
Assuming Houston can build off his strong spring, he’ll likely be a starter as Ohio State’s most experienced returning defensive tackle. Walker gets the nod to start at nose tackle given that he already has a year of high-level starting experience at UCF, but Smith Jr. – who started over Walker in the spring game – remains a factor in that competition this summer.
Moore projects as Ohio State’s No. 5 defensive tackle. Each of Ohio State’s three freshman defensive tackles are likely in line for developmental years, but Perez likely has the best chance of earning a situational role at nose tackle, as he’s by far the biggest DT on the roster at 6-foot-3 and 360 pounds and stood out the most among the freshmen at his position this spring.
Post-Spring Outlook
McDonald leaves massive shoes to fill – literally and figuratively – at defensive tackle, so there’s reason to believe Ohio State’s interior defensive line could take at least a small step back in 2026, particularly against the run.
That said, Ohio State’s depth at defensive tackle looks strong with five upperclassmen leading the way, including a pair of transfers who were Power 4 starters last season (James Smith and Walker) and the Buckeyes’ second-string defensive tackles from last year (Houston and Will Smith).
If Houston and James Smith can live up to their five-star potential, Walker proves to be a stout run-stopper like he was at UCF and Smith Jr. continues to make strides as he has every year as a Buckeye, Ohio State’s defensive tackle unit should at least rank among the Big Ten’s best, if not one of the best in the nation.
