OSU's Houston embraces move to defensive tackle

COLUMBUS — Eddrick Houston was expected to be a force on the interior of Ohio State's defensive line last season before a leg injury forced a change in his plans. He played in 13 games, but it wasn't until the second half of the season that he began to show what he could do. "I started off very slowly," Houston said. "I felt like I let down the fans, the coaches and my teammates. Toward the end of the season you got a glimpse of what I could be. "I don't think I played the best I could. At Ohio State, we teach to be the best version of yourself. Last year was not my best version." Houston, a 6-foot-3, 295-pound junior, had 21 tackles, four tackles for losses and three sacks last season. All of his sacks and and all of his tackles for loss came in the last seven games he played, as did 15 of his 21 tackles. The former 5-star recruit says better days are ahead for him. "I feel great," Houston said. "The body is healthy. I feel a lot stronger and a lot better than I was last year." Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson is also optimistic about what Houston will bring to the field this season. "He's a work in process but he's doing well," Johnson said. "There was a lot of pressure on him to get it done. I think now he's in the best position possible. He's healthy. Now he's got a chance to go compete and play a lot of football for us. Last year was a learning experience for him." Ohio State recruited Houston as a defensive end, but early in his freshman season Johnson and former defensive coordinator Jim Knowles convinced him his future was as a defensive tackle. "I came here thinking I was going to do all four years at defensive end, but Coach J and Coach Knowles, we talked, and they said 3-tech (defensive tackle) would be the best, especially since I was one of the bigger defensive ends," Houston said. "I came in at 265. We had that talk and I made the change." Adjusting to a new position took "took a minute," as Houston put it. "I can't just switch positions," he said. "At defensive end, I'm dropping in coverage or setting the edge and I've got time to think what I'm going to do. Inside, it's like everything is happening right away. I can't tell you the exact time it took me. It took me a minute to adapt to that because I played defensive end my whole life. "I actually like playing 3-tech now. Inside, you're not going to win on the first hit. You have to keep fighting. If you want a sack, a tackle for loss or even a tackle in general, you have to fight, claw and run to the ball." With the departure of defensive end Caden Curry and interior defensive linemen Kayden McDonald and Tywone Malone, a healthy, productive Houston could play a very important role in OSU's defense. "We lost a lot of key pieces so it's up to us to take that next step," Houston said.