Ryan Day believes a former 5-star prospect is starting to ‘play his best football’ for Ohio State
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ryan Day stands behind a lectern in Ohio State’s team room each Tuesday. There, he answers questions from a collection of reporters, speaking as the coach of the nation’s top-ranked football team.
A month ago, Day delivered a pointed message — one challenging defensive tackle Eddrick Houston, a former five-star prospect who wasn’t living up to his potential as a sophomore starter.
“There’s a lot of things when you’re a young player that you have to work through,” Day said. “A big part of it is showing up every day and understanding … that scarlet line that we cross when we walk on the field every day, the game doesn’t care what you’re going through.
“The game doesn’t care about your feelings. It doesn’t care if you’re having a good day or a bad day.”
Standing behind the same lectern this week, Day spoke about Houston in a different tone.
Highlighted by another strong outing at Purdue on Saturday, Houston has responded to Day’s challenge in a promising way. While it took longer than some expected, he’s proving to be worthy of starting for the nation’s best defense.
“He’s had ups and downs a little bit this year, but you’re starting to see him play his best football,” Day said. “I think the maturity, the preparation and what he’s doing is paying off. He’s going to be a big player for us.”
Houston’s journey since arriving as a highly rated prospect in the 2024 class has been unconventional.
He started as a defensive end, but by the midway point of the 2024 regular season, Houston transitioned inside. A change in position is difficult, but the true freshman made it appear seamless.
Houston became an important depth piece for defensive line coach Larry Johnson. The Atlanta native played nearly 14 snaps per game in the College Football Playoff, helping lead the Buckeyes to their ninth national title in program history.
With Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton departing for the NFL, it seemed obvious Houston would slide into a starting role alongside Kayden McDonald at defensive tackle. However, the 2025 campaign started on a shaky note for Houston.
He suffered an injury during Ohio State’s first preseason practice. Though he was available by the time a Week 1 matchup with Texas arrived, it was an early obstacle.
Inconsistent play paired with injury followed. He received defensive grades below 60 in games against Texas, Grambling State, Ohio and Washington, according to Pro Football Focus.
Against Minnesota on Oct. 4, he took a step forward and earned a grade of 77.9 — his best to that point. However, he was injured late in the contest and missed the following week’s game against Illinois.
Houston returned for an Oct. 18 win against Wisconsin, and he graded out as a champion, though Tywone Malone Jr. held the starting role alongside McDonald.
The victory against the Badgers was followed by a bye week, giving Houston a chance to reset before the stretch run of the regular season.
“He’s got momentum, so here we go” Day said on Oct. 29. “We need him to really step up for us here down the stretch.”
Houston came out of the off week and delivered his best performance of the season against Penn State. He collected three tackles, a sack and forced a fumble while also earning the nation’s best pass-rush grade among defensive tackles (91.6).
With Malone sidelined against Purdue, Houston returned to the starting lineup and gave Day reason to believe his play could match his vibrant personality.
“This is a guy who just lights up a room when he walks in a room,” Day said. “Eddrick is a great young man. He’s got a lot of talent, and he’s learning how this all works.”
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