Ohio State enters this season coming off winning a National Title last year, but having to replace 8 defensive starters from last year's team is never easy. The biggest area of concern for the Buckeyes is the lack of defensive line depth. Having to replace 4 defensive line starters is never easy, so Ohio State is trying to piece it together this year.
One of the players hoping to make a big impact this season is defensive tackle Eddrick Houston. Houston last year rotated in at defensive tackle and showed promise as a true freshman. He is expected to start and contribute this season for the Buckeyes, but at their 1st practice, he left the field with an apparent leg injury. It appears that Houston avoided a major injury, but his injury scare shows the lack of depth at the defensive line for the Buckeyes.
Press Coverage: Eddrick Houston's injury will create an early test of Ohio State’s DT depth while Beau Atkinson and Mylan Graham were among the standouts on day one of camp. https://t.co/IlBj5fvq07
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) July 31, 2025
Lack of depth at defensive tackle
The biggest concern at defensive tackle is the lack of depth for the Buckeyes. Houston is expected to be the starter opposite Kayden McDonald. Behind them are Tywone Malone and Will Smith, neither of whom has made a big impact so far in their Ohio State career. If Houston is expected to miss a significant amount of time, then Ohio State would be counting on Malone or Smith to fill in and play a ton this season. The other big concern is that Ohio State opens week 1 against a good team in Texas, so if Houston cannot play in that game, it would be a major blow for Ohio State.
Sources: The lower body injury sustained in practice earlier today by Ohio State projected starting DT Eddrick Houston does not look like a long-term injury. The early results are that it’s not considered serious. pic.twitter.com/tq4j8xzy9d
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) July 31, 2025
This season's outlook on defense
Ohio State only returning 3 defensive starters is not easy, but they do have 3 impact players returning as starters. Safety Caleb Downs is one of the best defensive players in the country. Downs can play as either a strong or free safety for the Buckeyes. Sonny Styles is a dynamic linebacker who is returning for his 2nd year as a starter. Finally, Davison Igbinosun is returning for his 3rd season as a starter at cornerback.
Ohio State needs its two starting defensive tackles in McDonald and Houston, to be reliable players for the Buckeyes. If Houston's injury lingers into the season, the Buckeyes might struggle at the defensive tackle position, which could greatly cause issues with the success of the Buckeye defense. The biggest concern to me with the defensive tackle position is that they might not be consistent enough to help stop the run, and it could lead the Buckeyes to be gashed in the run game. Time will tell, but Houston’s injury could be a big problem for the Buckeyes this season.