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In somewhat surprising fashion, 2016 DL five star Ed Oliver committed to the University of Houston last Thursday. If his commitment sticks, and there is more reason to believe it does, than anything to believe that it won't, it would be only the sixth time a five-star recruit signed to play at a non-power conference school.
What does the Houston Westfield product represent for the Cougars in the future? Momentum. And a lot of it. A day after the Oliver commitment, the Cougars received another commitment. This time from four-star defensive lineman Jordan Elliot. In fact, when asked about whether others in the area would follow him to UH, Oliver reportedly told reporters, "People are going to follow, I'm sure."
In 2014, Oliver recorded seven sacks and 84 total tackles for the Mustangs. He is a 6'2" 277 lb. monster defensive linemen that uses his raw power to get a push against the OL. He isn't all raw power though either. He has great football instincts, a quick first move, and a great motor as well. Oliver's power combined with a very quick first move help him get the push he needs to get into the backfield and his motor allows him to be on the field for more plays and be productive for a better percentage of the game. Here's a link to his highlights video via Youtube.
For Tom Herman, Oliver represents a program building commitment. He is the number 5 ranked player nationally and is the number 2 player in Texas according to 247Sports Composite. The recruiting class, now with 5 commitments, is by far the number one class in the American Athletic Conference with the Friday pledges of Elliot from Houston Westside and 2016 OG Dixie Wooten from Houston Lamar.
To make things even better for the University of Houston, Oscar Giles is the defensive line coach. Giles has had 16 coached NFL defensive linemen like Brian Orakpo, Alex Okafor, and Lamarr Houston to go with two first round picks, three second and third rounders. There aren't many coaches in the country that have a better resume on the defensive side of the ball than Giles.