The tremors that shook the Texas recruiting world on Thursday evening were a result of consensus five-star defensive tackle Ed Oliver of Houston Westfield committing to the Houston Cougars, according to multiple reports.
5-star DT Ed Oliver commits to the Houston Cougars
The new Cougars head coach has his potentially program-changing commitment.
The nation's consensus No. 13 prospect named the hometown Cougars his leader in late April, but many found it difficult to believe that Houston could beat out a school like the LSU Tigers for Oliver's services.
Even though Oliver's 247Sports Crystal Ball favored Houston -- sitting at 50% in favor of the Cougars -- the historical significance of Oliver's decision made it extremely difficult to actually predict, despite Oliver's proclamations of Houston leading in his recruitment.
Simply put, nothing has ever happened like this in the modern recruiting era, which dates back to 2002 -- no other consensus five-star prospect had ever committed to Houston, though wide receiver Deontay Greenberry was a five-star prospect by several services when he signed in 2012.
But it , giving new head coach Tom Herman a potentially program-changing commitment, no doubt aided tremendously by the addition of Houston Westfield head coach Corby Meekins as the school’s tight ends coach in January.
The 6’2, 277-pound Oliver visited Houston in February and hasn’t been particularly active taking visits over the last year. Will that remain the case? Schools like LSU certainly won’t back off just because he’s pledged somewhere else, so in truth, the next phase of Oliver’s recruitment now begins. Oliver also holds offers from Alabama, Baylor, Louisville, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and UCLA.
He’s ranked as the No. 5 defensive tackle and No. 2 player in Texas, according to the 247Sports Composite after recording 84 tackles and seven sacks as a junior. Remarkably lean for a defensive tackle, Oliver has positional versatility as a result, not to mention remarkable strength and ability to hold up at the point of attack despite his mass. Even when opponents can block Oliver initially, he doesn’t stay blocked because of his quickness and persistence. Top it all off with an incredible motor and Oliver has the look of a can’t-miss prospect -- hence his lofty rankings.
Herman now holds three pledges in the 2016 class, including consensus three-star quarterback Bowman Sells. The group ranks No. 1 in the AAC in the 247Sports Composite team rankings.
