Eddrick Houston and James Peoples Become Latest Freshmen To Lose Black Stripe

Freshmen defensive end Eddrick Houston and running back James Peoples became the fourth and fifth freshmen to “officially” join Ohio State on Friday when they lost their black stripes.

Houston and Peoples join wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, quarterback Julian Sayin, and safety Jaylen McClain as players who have had their black stripes removed. 

Following McClain, Houston and Peoples became the second and third freshmen to lose their black stripes in the fall.

In year one, Houston will have the chance to learn from All-Big Ten and most likely future NFL pass rushers in JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer. The former five-star turned heads as an early enrollee in the spring and has seemingly carried that momentum into fall camp, earning him the black stripe distinction. 

Following the season-ending injury of TC Caffey in the Summer, Peoples has the opportunity to make an impact in the Buckeyes’ running back room behind Quinshon Judkins and Treveyon Henderson. The former four-star has made noise in Carlos Locklyn’s running back room since arriving as an early enrollee in the winter, most notably in the spring game when he showed off his speed by totaling 40 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries while also adding three receptions for 23 yards. 

Houston and Peoples hope to provide a bright future for the Buckeyes on the offensive and defensive ends of the ball, and they may be on the right track towards achieving that this fall.