Replacing Tyleik Williams: Buckeyes Need Another Disruptor Insid

This is the ninth in a series looking at how the Buckeyes will be replacing their departed starters in 2025. Up next is the three-technique defensive tackle spot vacated by senior Tyleik Williams.

Tyleik Williams was a productive member of Ohio State’s defensive tackle rotation for all four of his years as a Buckeye. Even as a true freshman, he posted 16 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and 5.0 sacks, earning Freshman All-American honors.

Williams was an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selection as a freshman and sophomore. As a junior in 2023, he had his best year, posting 53 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 3.0 sacks. He was named Second-Team All-American and Second-Team All-Big Ten.

As a senior in 2024, Williams finished with 46 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks in 13 games. Williams was a disruptive force for the Buckeyes as a three tech, and even when he wasn’t getting to the football, he was still very much a focus of opposing offensive lines.

The Candidates

Defensive line coach Larry Johnson will move guys around looking for his best options at nose tackle and three tech. One guy who likely isn’t moving anywhere is sophomore Eddrick Houston, who emerged late last season as the backup to Tyleik Williams at three tech.

Tywone Malone has one year of eligibility remaining. He did earn a start early in the season while Williams missed a game. Redshirt sophomore Jason Moore had a strong spring last year but wasn’t able to turn that into as much playing time as he would have liked. Will Smith, Jr. and Eric Mensah are closer to playing time than they’ve ever been.

Three true freshmen — Jarquez Carter, Maxwell Roy, and Trajen Odom — will enter the fray as well.

Spring Outlook

Larry Johnson will need to put his initial defensive line depth chart together, and with five defensive linemen gone from last year’s team, the distinction between three tech and nose tackle may be a bit more fluid for some players.

Eddrick Houston isn’t expected to make any moves positionally. Tywone Malone and Jason Moore would be the next two in line behind him. Johnson has spoken highly of freshman Jarquez Carter’s potential as a disruptor on the interior. Could he make an impact similar to what Houston was able to do last season?

These 15 spring practices are going to provide more reps than any of these defensive tackles have received before, which means there could be some legitimate growth over these next two months.

Best Bet

The best bet here is that sophomore Eddrick Houston will be the replacement for Tyleik Williams. The fact that Houston was moved from defensive end to defensive tackle mid-season and then he ended up playing the third-most snaps among the tackles in the playoffs is a huge neon sign to both his potential and his current reality.

Houston was able to get into the defensive line rotation in the biggest games of the year. His rise was pretty remarkable, even given his status as a former five-star defensive line recruit. He only posted seven tackles on the season, but with more reps now available to him, it will be fascinating to see what he can become as a playmaker and run stopper.

Behind him, the job would seem to be wide open. Which could also turn this into much more of a rotation than it was last season given the potential fall-off from a starter like Williams.

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