Ohio State trending to land 5-star DL Eddrick Houston

Buford (Ga.) five-star defensive lineman Eddrick Houston has one more official visit this weekend to Alabama, and then will be done with his slate of trips for the summer.

He previously announced a commitment date of August 22, his birthday. USC (May 19-21), Clemson (June 2-4), Georgia (June 9-11), Ohio State (June 16-18) have already hosted him, while Alabama will get its shot this weekend.

But heading into that visit, the Crimson Tide will have some major work to do, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM). After two expert picks in favor of the Buckeyes from LettermenRow.com insiders Spencer Holbrook and Matt Parker, Ohio State holds an 88.1 percent chance of securing Houston’s eventual commitment.

Those picks echo the intel from On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons, who wrote this early in the week after Houston’s official visit to Columbus:

“Eddrick Houston was back at Ohio State, and the buzz continues to grow around the Buckeyes. USC set the bar high with Houston back in May, but Ohio State is the school the Trojans and others are chasing. Alabama will have their chance this weekend. Clemson and Georgia look to be down Houston’s list with an Aug. 22 decision date set. Based on all the chatter, Ohio State will be very tough to beat.”

Larry Johnson playing a strong role in Eddrick Houston’s interest

Houston included the Buckeyes in his top five back in mid-May, and defensive line coach Larry Johnson is a big reason why.

“I watched practice and really saw how coach Larry Johnson works with his players,” he told Simmons. “He would coach J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer, but still make time to come over and explain things to me. That really stood out to me. He and coach Ryan Day made me feel like a priority for them.

… They have shown a lot of interest in me, they produce a lot of top defensive linemen and Ohio State showed me a lot on this visit. I really got a good look at them and saw a lot that I did not see on my first visit. It is a top school in the Big Ten, so it is a school I am definitely still considering.”

Eddrick Houston Recruiting Profile

The 6-foot-3, 255-pound Houston is the No. 20 overall prospect in the 2024 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He also ranks as the nation’s No. 4 defensive lineman and the No. 5 recruit in Georgia.

“Twitched up edge defender who wins with get off and burst. Ran a solid 56.46 400m during his sophomore track and field season and also competed in the shot put and discus. Has positional flexibility due to size and athleticism, could potentially move off the ball to an inside linebacker prospect or gain serious mass and kick inside to a 3-technique. Shows off athletic ability and physicality at the point of attack on offense as well at the tight end position. Lacks ideal length for the edge but makes up for it with his hand usage and understanding of leverage.” — Charles Power, On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings