Ohio State Buckeyes DL coach Larry Johnson is better at his job than most. If he weren't, he wouldn't have even rival schools singing his praises on recruiting visits. Johnson can't even be negatively recruited.
Despite spending a college football coaching life in the Big Ten, split between OSU and the Penn State Nittany Lions, Johnson's name carries weight at institutions like UGA and the University of Alabama.
That's the story three-tech Buckeyes defensive tackle Eddrick Houston told on "The Bobby Carpenter Show." Houston revealed the extent to which Johnson is there for his players.
"If you ever have a problem or you need something, Coach J's going to answer every time," Houston said. "I don't think I've called Coach J one time when he has not answered. Or if he has not answered, he hasn't texted me, 'Eddrick, I'll get right back to you,' and he'll call me as soon as he's free.
"So, I love Coach J. He's also a [big reason] that I was like  'Ohio State is the place I need to be' when I was going through my recruiting. He was like the final piece. Like, it don't get no better. No matter where I went [on recruiting visits] Georgia, Alabama, any place, - they talked about Coach J and how great he was."
Eddrick Houston could further the Larry Johnson hype in 2026
Houston is slated to be a major part of the Buckeyes' pass rush. Hopefully, Houston grows into a gap-closing rush-ruiner in 2026. His 59.9 PFF run grade cannot be repeated if Ohio State hopes to make a leap this fall.
Houston's improvement would be a boon for EDGE Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and whoever else gets the nod on the other side of the line. Matt Patricia's 3-4 schemes would certainly benefit from Houston finally putting the pedal to the floor.
Larry Johnson's work speaks for itself in the 2027 recruiting class
While Houston can join a long line of successful players coached by Coach J, Johnson's reputation already speaks for itself. In particular, there's a stacked 2027 DL class making its way to Central Ohio next year, that's some of Johnson's finest work.
4-star three-tech tackle Karlos May, Houston's eventual replacement; 5-star five-tech Marcus Fakatou; 5-star EDGE DJ Jacobs; and 4-star EDGE Wyatt Smith make for a master stroke of an effort from Johnson for next year. So far.
Given how long Johnson stayed in Happy Valley, Ryan Day could probably plan to keep Johnson in Columbus for as long as the current regime is in charge. The quality of recent work suggests Johnson has plenty of motivation left in the tank to make OSU a winner in the trenches. At least on his side of the ball.
Day's well-oiled machine has always benefitted from Johnson, with the DL coach's time in Scarlet and Gray dating back to the mid-Urban Meyer era. It could be a long time before someone else is in that seat. For the program's sake, let's hope he's closer to the middle of his Buckeyes tenure than the end.
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