Houston Cougars Football

The Houston Cougars announced Sunday that they have fired head coach Major Applewhite.

"We'd like to thank Coach Applewhite and his family for their commitment to the success of the Houston Football program over the last four seasons including the last two as our head coach," Houston Vice President for Athletics Chris Pezman said in a statement. "After a thorough evaluation of our Football program, it is my assessment our future opportunities for success are better addressed by making this very difficult decision now.

SB Nation's Steven Godfrey first reported the move on Saturday.

Houston is coming off a 70-14 blowout loss to the Army Black Knights in the Armed Forces Bowl. The Cougars allowed 592 yards, and Army's 54-point margin of victory tied an FBS bowl record.

Houston is 15-11 in two-plus seasons under Applewhite. He was credited with the team's Las Vegas Bowl loss in 2016 after replacing the outgoing Tom Herman.

Godfrey reported Dec. 22, the same day as the Armed Forces Bowl, that Applewhite's future might be in jeopardy. Godfrey also shared a statement from Houston in which the school reaffirmed its commitment to Applewhite.

The Cougars already lost offensive coordinator Kendal Briles, who took over as Florida State's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach on Dec. 23. Having to also replace one of its top coordinators won't make Houston's head coaching search any easier.

According to Godfrey, West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen is among those the Cougars have on their early shortlist.

Tilman Fertitta, who owns the Houston Rockets, is a major Houston booster, so the program could potentially give Holgorsen a raise compared to the $3.6 million he's earning at West Virginia.

Texas A&M pried Jimbo Fisher away from Florida State by giving him $75 million over 10 years, a move that was arguably a step backward for Fisher from a prestige perspective. Granted, Fisher didn't leave the Seminoles for a team in a Group of Five conference, which is what Holgorsen would be doing.

At the moment, the Cougars are regarded as a stepping stone for coaches with bigger ambitions. Herman, Art Briles and Kevin Sumlin all spent time at Houston before going to Texas, Baylor and Texas A&M, respectively.

By even considering Holgorsen, Houston clearly wants to shed that perception.

Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver continues to have lingering knee issues. 

Per Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle, Cougars head coach Major Applewhite said Oliver's knee started bothering him during Friday's 52-31 loss against Memphis. 

The MMQB's Albert Breer noted Oliver sat out the entire second half of the game. 

Oliver reacted to the injury after the game:

SETBACKS AFTER SETBACKS I’m just tryna be great that it Lord

— Ed Oliver (@Edoliver_11) November 23, 2018

Oliver was in the starting lineup for the first time since Oct. 20 against Navy. He suffered a bruised right knee after getting blocked low in the fourth quarter of Houston's 49-36 win. 

Per Duarte, Applewhite added Oliver suffered a setback trying to recover from his initial injury leading up to a game against SMU on Nov. 3 that set his timetable back two to three weeks.

Now in his junior season, Oliver has been instrumental in Houston's success over the past two years. He tallied 38.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks combined between 2016 and 2017, winning the Bill Willis Trophy as the nation's top defensive lineman as a freshman.

Despite missing the past four games, Oliver still showed his ability to dominate with 13.5 tackles for loss and three sacks entering Friday. 

In addition to Oliver's importance to the Cougars, the 20-year-old declared for the 2019 NFL draft in March. He is expected to be one of the top picks, with B/R's Matt Miller ranking him as the No. 2 overall prospect. 

Cameras caught Houston Cougars star Ed Oliver involved in a heated exchange with head coach Major Applewhite during Thursday night's 48-17 victory over Tulane, but the defensive lineman wants everyone to know that the incident was out of character for him.

Oliver said in a statement Friday, via ESPN's Sam Khan Jr.:

"Last night is not who I am. I'm very passionate about the game of football and last night there was a misunderstanding. I was caught in an emotional moment. I have the utmost respect for Coach Applewhite and I appreciate the support of Coach Applewhite and my teammates during this time. I love my brothers, my team and my city and I'm looking forward to moving forward with them together. Go Coogs!"

Oliver had to be restrained heading into halftime after Applewhite told him to take off a jacket the team reserves for active players only.

Ed Oliver was HEATED when his coach told him to take off his jacket on the sideline 😡 pic.twitter.com/2OZUAXSrJ1

— ESPN (@espn) November 16, 2018

The 6'3", 292-pound defensive lineman has missed the last four games due to a knee injury.

While tempers flared on the field, Applewhite would back up his star player by echoing similar sentiments. 

"Ed is a passionate human being, and that is why he is the best player in the country," Applewhite said in a statement, via Khan. "Last night was not indicative of his character and it was a passionate moment within our program. We can, and we will, both learn from this situation as we move forward together."

Regardless of one's opinion of the rule regarding the jacket, it was not a good look for Oliver—a potential top-10 pick—to be seen angrily going after his coach. There's plenty to love about the All-American's game, but NFL teams don't want confrontations like Thursday night's episode.

Oliver is currently third on Matt Miller's big board.

Is Houston's 5'11" quarterback the most exciting player in college football? What should be made of the first College Football Playoff rankings? And what about Week 10's must-watch games? Adam Kramer explores what's happening in college football in his weekly college football notebook, the Thursday Tailgate.

   

The question induces laughter from D'Eriq King. Years ago, it would've likely produced a much different response. But now, on the heels of a seven-touchdown performance that featured one of this season's most spectacular touchdown runs, what the heck. Might as well laugh it off.

For Houston's starting quarterback, the player with more touchdowns than anyone in college football, it's a question he's been asked all his life.

How tall are you?

On his official Houston bio, King is listed at an un-quarterback-like 5'11" and 195 pounds. But is this actually correct?

“Uh, not exactly," King says. “The weight is not too far off, but my height is a little bit shorter than that."

On Saturday, King led Houston to a 57-36 win over then-unbeaten South Florida. The undersized QB finished with 419 passing yards, 132 rushing yards (on only 12 carries) and seven touchdowns.

He raised his season touchdown total to 39, doing so in only eight games.

At a time when size at the position is as valued as it has ever been, King is a unicorn of sorts. The junior from Manvel, Texas, who grew up idolizing Vince Young, is still learning the nuances of the position at this level.

As a freshman and sophomore, King was switched to wide receiver. While he grew comfortable as a wideout, it was not a role he expected or originally wanted to play in college.

College football coaches, on the other hand, felt otherwise. While King had scholarship offers from Clemson, Michigan State, Washington and others, most schools thought he could not play QB because of his size.

“A lot of schools wanted me to play slot receiver or defensive back," King says. “Ultimately I came here because I wanted to play quarterback."

For at least a little while, that vision took a detour. King caught 29 passes in both his freshman and sophomore seasons before making the change back to QB days before Halloween last year.

Even then, despite the abruptness of the change, his performance was good enough to make him the starter this year. He has responded with at least three touchdowns in every game.

King's emergence has turned him into a celebrity of sorts. While so much of the talk about Houston has centered on defensive tackle Ed Oliver, a potential top-five draft pick who missed last week's game with a knee injury, the quarterback has slowly grabbed national headlines despite playing outside a major conference.

With each week, his popularity has grown. After his performance against USF, King says he had 400 notifications on his phone that he's been too busy to read. Picture requests on campus are becoming more common. And a buzz surrounding his potential Heisman campaign has started to build.

While winning the award is unlikely given Houston's schedule, King could earn an invitation to the ceremony if his staggering production continues.

“I always dreamed of the award as a little kid," he says. “I'm not just sitting in my room thinking about winning a Heisman, but it's just a blessing to hear my name connected to it. I've got to keep playing the way I'm playing right now."

Houston (7-1), which sits atop the standings in the West division of the American Athletic Conference, could play its way into a marquee bowl game with a strong finish. At his current pace, King could close out the 2018 season with one of the most productive years for a quarterback in recent history.

Which leads us back to the question that he couldn't quite put a number to.

Just how tall is he?

Here's a better question given the past few months.

At this point, does it really matter?

   

CFP Rankings Are Out, Which Is a Reminder How Little They Mean (For Now)

Let it be known that college football has done a magnificent job in promoting its four-team postseason, with the exception of playing games on New Year's Eve. That is not a good idea. Everything else, headlined by the weekly College Football Playoff rankings show that debuted for this season on Tuesday, has been well done.

For the first time this year, the selection committee put together a Top 25.

Unsurprisingly, Alabama was No. 1 and Clemson No. 2. Semi-surprisingly, unbeaten Notre Dame came in at No. 4, behind one-loss LSU, which debuted at No. 3.

Each week, these rankings trigger anger, confusion and displeasure from fanbases that feel they've been wronged. Central Florida fans know these emotions well after a full year of unsuccessfully trying to impress the committee.

The emotions that are manufactured by these early rankings are actually wonderful for business. But don't fall into the trap of taking them too seriously.

None of these rankings matter until December 2, the day the four teams of the College Football Playoff will be officially announced once all conference championships have been decided.

Until then, enjoy the show.

   

With That Said, Here's the Weirdest Playoff Scenario That Is Still Semi-Possible

If I were to put together the most improbable-but-not-impossible playoff based on the initial rankings, here is how it would look. Reminder: This is for entertainment purposes only. Will it actually happen? Absolutely not. But here's how it could look in the most chaotic scenario.

1, Kentucky (currently No. 9)

2. Washington State (currently No. 8)

3. West Virginia (currently No. 13)

4. Central Florida (currently No 12) 

Northwestern wins the Big 10 title game, knocking the conference out of the playoff and opening the door for Pac-12 champion Washington State. Clemson loses twice. Notre Dame loses at least once—although let's call it two for good measure. West Virginia runs the table, as does Kentucky. Oh, and Alabama has to lose two games, and we aren't done. UCF, maybe the hardest to figure of all, remains undefeated and skyrockets past all of the carnage and chaos.

Call this the doomsday football playoff equation. If it happened, we would have an eight-team playoff by spring break.

       

Five Games to Watch This Weekend

This is one of the better collections of games we will get all year. Let us celebrate this glorious buffet in style. (All game times Eastern, and all rankings now courtesy of the College Football Playoff selection committee).

No. 1 Alabama at No. 3 LSU (Saturday, 8 p.m.): Night games in Baton Rouge are gumbo-infused madness, and this will be one of its finest installments. And yet, with Alabama close to a two-touchdown favorite, it's hard to grasp what the game itself might look like. The tailgate, however, will be quite a sight.

No. 6 Georgia at No. 9 Kentucky (Saturday, 3:30 p.m.): If Kentucky wins, it will represent the SEC East in the SEC Championship Game. This is not a drill or some sort of basketball analysis misfire. This is real. The Wildcats have gone from a warm, cuddly football story to a team that finds itself in the hunt. Let's go.

No. 14 Penn State at No. 5 Michigan (Saturday, 3:45 p.m.): With each passing week, it is becoming increasingly difficult to doubt Jim Harbaugh and Michigan. A victory here would only add to that positive momentum. Whether Harbaugh receives appropriate credit is still TBD, but a loss would be a shock to the system. A massive game.

No. 13 West Virginia at No. 17 Texas (Saturday, 3:30 p.m.): It will slide under the radar given the robust slate, but West Virginia-Texas is a) hugely important in the Big 12 and b) almost certain to be touchdown-rich. This will also be a defining moment in our quest to determine if Texas is indeed back. Tune in to find out.

No. 7 Oklahoma at Texas Tech (Saturday, 8 p.m.): Speaking of touchdown-rich, two years ago these two combined to score 125 points and produced nearly a mile in yardage. Texas Tech looks like it might have found a defense, so that likely won't happen here. Or maybe it will, with Kyler Murray ready for takeoff for Oklahoma. 

   

What Else to Watch This Weekend

First, an Extended Preview of Alabama-LSU

Yes, this is cheating. All game previews are typically limited to 280 characters or fewer to move it along, but this one, given the teams, the history and what is at stake, feels like it demands a little something more.

So let's talk matchups. Specifically, Alabama's wideouts going against LSU's cornerbacks, which will be the most intriguing game within the game. As brilliant as Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa has been, his wideouts—Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III, DeVonta Smith and freshman Jaylen Waddle—have constantly gotten open and helped execute one brilliant throw after the next.

LSU cornerback Greedy Williams and a deep group of defensive backs will hope to change that. Whether they can or not, the matchup will be a must-see. Specifically, watching Williams against Jeudy, who is averaging 25.1 yards per catch, will be a delight.

   

Second, Notre Dame's Final Playoff Push (Part 1)

Northwestern has now beaten Purdue, Michigan State and, most recently, Wisconsin. The Wildcats also lost to Akron and Duke. Yep, it's been that kind of year.

But this team is dangerous. So Notre Dame, with four games standing between it and the College Football Playoff, had best be careful.

For fans of teams waiting anxiously just outside the top four of the College Football Playoff rankings, this game in Evanston is especially worth watching. And with Northwestern, who knows what we'll see.

   

Third, This Saturday's Sneaky-Good, Scoreboard-Shattering Matchup Is…

Syracuse-Wake Forest. Yes, really.

While these programs don't normally have offensive-heavy reputations, Syracuse is averaging more than 40 points per game, and Wake Forest just dropped 56 on Louisville—the third time this year that the Demon Deacons eclipsed the 50-point mark.

For those who are curious, the game will be played at noon. If you're looking for the perfect lather to get you to the robust night slate, look no further.

   

Gambling Locks of the Week

Last Week: 4-2

Season to date: 29-22-1

For at least a little while last Saturday, 6-0 felt possible. Then Missouri and Washington State crumbled, and I “settled" for another 4-2 weekend. If you haven't purchased your ticket for this glorious money train by now, I'm not sure what else to tell you.

Here are this week's picks, using lines provided by OddsShark.

Missouri (+6) at Florida: Missouri just lost to Kentucky on one of the worst defensive pass interference calls in the past decade. I have no idea why that matters, but we're betting the Tigers regardless.

 Washington (-10) vs. Stanford: This game was supposed to be a lot better than it is, although that won't stop us from partaking. Huskies by 17.

Auburn (-4) vs. Texas A&M: Last time out, Auburn covered for us. This time out, off a bye, the Tigers will do the same.

Kentucky (+9.5) vs. Georgia: The Bulldogs are the more talented team, but Kentucky finds comfort in ugly football. Georgia wins, but Kentucky makes it sweat.

Temple (+10.5) at Central Florida: This is a quality game featuring quality teams. Temple might just be a live underdog to win outright.

Arizona (-3) vs. Colorado: What a strange turn for Colorado that will get stranger this weekend. Arizona by a touchdown.

   

Adam Kramer covers college football for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @KegsnEggs. 

Editor's Note: College football is BACK. Get to know the three SURE-FIRE superstars who are guaranteed to dominate this season.

Part 1 (Tuesday): Nick Bosa

Part 2 (Wednesday): AJ Dillon

Part 3 (Thursday): Ed Oliver

           

HOUSTON — Ed Oliver shouldn't be here. He shouldn't be sitting at a sticky picnic table outside Burns Original BBQ in late June, down the street from where he used to ride horses as a child, staring down a heaping plate of ribs, chicken, green beans and rice as industrial fans do their best to cool the humid air.

And sure, he probably shouldn't have walked next door to order a bag of fries from Burns Burger Shack while he waited. And he could have left his dog at home when he took off for lunch. But instead, the windows of his brown Ford F-150 are cracked, the air conditioning is on full throttle, and the Great Dane is waiting comfortably in the passenger seat as the engine rumbles 30 feet away.

As was the case long before he became one of the most dominant forces in college football—a defensive tackle one NFL scout called "Aaron Donald with prototype size"—Oliver does things his way.

That's precisely how the nation's No. 6 prospect in the 2016 recruiting class wound up here. Not at LSU or Texas or Alabama but the University of Houston.

In deciding to play for his home city and with his brother, Marcus, who started all 12 games as a senior on the offensive line last season, Oliver did something almost no elite high school football player ever does. He turned down every sales pitch and major program in college football.

Which leads us back to this sticky picnic table. Oliver should not be here. Based on ability alone, he should be long gone, being paid millions of dollars to torment quarterbacks as a professional.

Though multiple NFL scouts felt he would've been a top-five pick in the 2018 draft, Oliver didn't have that option. NFL rules stipulate he return to the Cougars for his third season before becoming draft-eligible.

As for the 2019 draft, Oliver already has declared his intent to enter it.

"I wasn't about to get asked that question a million times all year," he says between bites. "I'm here to play football. I don't need a million interviews every other day. I ain't here for that."

That decision, however, leads to another question. As a likely top selection, should Oliver risk it? Should he suit up for a team that doesn't figure to compete for the national championship?

"That's crazy talk," he says, cutting the question short. "I love the game too much. I can't sit there and watch my guys go to war while I'm chillin' on the bench. When we're grinding the whole offseason together, I'm gonna sit on the bench?

"Nah. That's not how this is going to go."

---

From behind his desk inside his office overlooking the weight room, Rod Grace is feverishly scrolling through his iPad.

The device houses the data on every lift and personal best Oliver has posted over the past three years. And though Houston's director of sports performance knows most of the numbers by heart, it doesn't make the exercise any less enjoyable.

"I hear coaches talk about the four-year rule: It takes four years to master the weight room," Grace says. "But the special guys have a four-week rule, and that's what Ed is. You introduce something one week, and by the fourth week, he's damn good at it."

Oliver arrived capable of squatting more than 500 pounds. Eight weeks later, before he had played a snap, he was squatting more than 600.

These days, Oliver squats more than 650 pounds and power-cleans 385, figures considered elite for NFL players. His vertical leap is 36 inches, his broad jump 10'1". Both would have placed him among the top three defensive linemen at the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine.

But those extraordinary marks are eclipsed in Grace's mind by the incredible feats of athleticism he has witnessed from Oliver.

Like the time he landed a 48-inch box jump on only one leg—prompting the two to share a laugh amid disbelief. Or earlier this year when Oliver demanded one rep against skill-position players in an agility drill after he had demolished his fellow linemen.

"He beat every single one—our wideouts; you name 'em," Grace says.

Oliver has chased down Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson, tormenting them with two sacks apiece. He won the Outland Trophy—given to the best interior lineman in college football—despite playing in the American Athletic, a non-Power Five conference.

Oliver is listed at 6'3" and 292 pounds but has said he plays at least 10 pounds lighter. In his first two seasons, he accumulated 39.5 tackles for loss in only 25 games—more than all but one player, former South Florida defensive end George Selvie, who had 46.5 in 26 games in 2006-07.

"The first thing you notice is the explosion," an NFL scout tells Bleacher Report. "He's so powerful at the snap because that explosion is so quick, so overwhelming. And he's one of those rare interior guys that are just as dominant in the run game as they are getting after the quarterback.

"He's a top-five guy stepping on the field."

---

There wasn't a news conference. In fact, the school had to scramble to put out a release because it didn't have anything crafted in advance.

When Oliver on March 5 said his junior year would be his last, it was met with surprise. Not the decision but the timing. While most juniors wait until the end of their seasons to declare their intent to enter the NFL draft, Oliver didn't see the point.

Since his arrival, Oliver had made clear college was "a three-year business trip," he says. But few within the program knew he would say so on the team's first day of spring practice.

"My momma didn't even know," says Oliver, who broke the news in response to a question. "I just spoke from the heart."

Since then, Oliver and his family have prepared for the next step. Like arranging an insurance policy to protect him financially against serious injury. Or the discussion he had with his mother regarding completing his degree, a promise Oliver says he will fulfill in time.

Cougars head coach Major Applewhite was not surprised by the timing of Oliver's announcement.

"I think he was honestly thinking: 'To hell with this. I'm going pro,'" he says. "'I chased Lamar Jackson all over the damn field. Who are we kidding?' He's very matter of fact like that.

"Ed's not going to break your rules, but he's not going to play by your rules."

Still, Oliver doesn't view himself as a trendsetter. Nor does he hope or care if more players follow his lead.

"When you declare, just be genuine about it, man," Oliver says. "Get it out the way, and go ahead, play your season. I didn't do it for attention. I don't need the attention. I wanted you all to leave me alone."

---

That's not to say Oliver hasn't thought about what might have been. As he heard the names of defensive player after defensive player called during the 2018 NFL draft—players Oliver felt he was more skilled than and worked harder than—he couldn't help himself.

"Part of me wishes that things were different," he says. "I think some players should be let into the league strictly off enough coaches who say, 'Yeah, I would draft him the first round.'"

South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney was in a similar position after his sophomore season. A former No. 1 recruit, he became the No. 1 NFL prospect right around the time he annihilated Vincent Smith in the Michigan backfield in the 2013 Outback Bowl.

Though the two play different positions—Clowney end and Oliver tackle—they finished their sophomore years having clearly outgrown their sport.

"It was pretty much understood that he would be here three years and go," former Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier says of Clowney. "He was in his own category."

Before his junior year, many questioned whether Clowney should play at all. Having watched South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore suffer back-to-back season-ending knee injuries during his sophomore and junior seasons—the second of which derailed his NFL career—Spurrier knew what was at stake.

The question, Spurrier says, was this: "You have a chance to financially secure yourself and your family. Is it really worth it to play that third year? We certainly appreciate what Jadeveon did. He could have sat out and probably still been the No. 1 pick."

Since Clowney played his junior year through injuries that limited his snaps, draft prospects have begun to take their NFL futures into their own hands. Running backs Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey, top-10 picks in the 2017 draft, sat out bowl games after dealing with nagging injuries.

A handful of others last season made the same choice, protecting themselves from potential injuries. At a time when players are developing a voice on this issue, there is no better candidate to push the conversation forward than Oliver.

"Everybody has said it to me," Oliver says. "They say, 'You can sit out this year, and you're still going to go top five.' But that's wrong. Not playing for a school that's done everything for you is wrong. You're going to be remembered as the guy who worked out with the team then sat out? The guy who didn't go 100 because of your future?"

Oliver says he plans to play in Houston's bowl game, if the team makes one and he's remotely healthy.

Rather than avoid injury by avoiding snaps, he has adopted a different mindset heading into the season.

Play hard enough that you won't get hit.

---

His coaches know they will most likely never have a player of this caliber again, and they are approaching this season with that in mind.

They view Oliver as not just the best college football player in America but a rare talent who can single-handedly influence the outcome of games from a position where that can be difficult.

Applewhite has talked to Oliver about the way LeBron James and Stephen Curry impact those around them.

"How far is he going to bring this team? I think that will say a lot about him," Applewhite says. "Can he make all the plays? No. Can LeBron make all the plays? No. But how far can he bring us?"

A.J. Blum, Houston's defensive line coach, also coached Oliver at Westfield High School. He can feel the effect Oliver is having away from the field—where he is trying to recruit the next great defensive lineman to join the Cougars.

"There are so many guys in the city that will say: 'I want to be the next Ed. I want to take the same path Ed Oliver took,'" Blum says. "I think that's really the legacy he's going to leave here."

---

With his tray of barbecue empty and his bag of fries dwindling, Oliver wants to make one thing clear: His story cannot be about his draft status and signing bonus and the professional leap he will take starting near the end of the year. His story, at least for now, should be about the next four months.

"I gotta be remembered for something," says Oliver, whose high school team lost in the state quarterfinals in 2013 and state semifinals in 2014. "This is my city. I have zero rings since I started playing football. We gotta win a conference and a bowl game. I'd be damned if I leave another level of football without getting a ring."

To achieve that goal, Oliver has adopted a new routine this offseason. For someone whose preparation has always been intense, he has finally allowed himself to slow down.

More treatment. More stretching. More focus on his body and staying healthy.

"It's going to be a long season," he says. "I'm going to be there for every game."

As he gets up from the table, Oliver says hello to someone he recognizes. A year from now, things will be different. In all likelihood, he'll be a stranger in a new city for the first time.

But for at least a few more months, Oliver will play for the people in his hometown, not for the money or the fame, which he says he could gladly do without.

As he walks past the industrial fans and into the parking lot, his engine is still running.

Oliver eases into his truck and pets his dog, whose name carries extra-special significance. No matter what happens next year—wherever Oliver lands next—Houston will be by his side.

Houston Cougars defensive tackle Ed Oliver isn't wasting any time in preparation for the next step in his football career. Oliver announced Monday he intends on entering the 2019 NFL draft.

"This was a dream of mine coming in," Oliver said in a statement on the Cougars' official website. "I knew I was going on a business trip, and whether my business trip was three years or four years it just depended on how early I got on the field and how effective I was."

Through his first two seasons at Houston, Oliver has 139 tackles, 10.5 sacks and 39.5 tackles for loss. As a sophomore in 2017, he was a consensus first-team All-American and the Outland Trophy winner.

Houston head coach Major Applewhite told ESPN.com's Sam Khan Jr. last month Oliver should at least warrant a mention in the 2018 Heisman Trophy discussion.

"We have to see what he does on the field [this season]," Applewhite said. "I think he deserves to be in the conversation. If the award is what it says it is, which is the best player in college football, then he deserves to be in the conversation."

Sure, a lot can happen between now and the 2019 draft to hurt Oliver's pro prospects, but there isn't much downside to him making his intentions known now. If Oliver has an underwhelming 2019 season, then he can simply walk back Monday's announcement and return for his senior year.

Assuming he stays healthy, Oliver will warrant first-round status this time next year.

HOUSTON — Ed Oliver, the most disruptive defensive player in college football, a young man who is deeply aware of how gifted he is, fidgets in a chair that can barely hold his 290-pound frame. It is June 29, 57 days before Hurricane Harvey will make landfall along the Texas coast, blanket Houston with nearly four feet of rain and leave much of the state in turmoil.

Here, inside the University of Houston Athletics/Alumni Center, Oliver's right foot taps the floor repeatedly, pushing his white Nikes up and down in a jackhammer cadence. His iPad, resting on his midsection that has no visible excess mass, bounces up and down. His gray iPhone twirls in his hand like a poker chip. The season cannot get here soon enough.

It is so easy to forget that Oliver, Houston's star nose tackle, won't turn 20 until December. As a freshman last season, he was named an All-American by just about every meaningful outlet. His 22.5 tackles for loss were tied for third in the nation. The next closest freshman finished with 12.5.

He speaks with purpose. He bobs up and down with that enormous smile, looking completely at ease as he matches his overwhelming confidence with the appropriate charm.

Like when he talks about his transition to the college game, which is supposed to be a thing. "It was nothing," Oliver says. "I was ready for college my junior year in high school."

Or his performance against eventual Heisman winner Lamar Jackson late last season. Although he left the game early with a knee injury, Oliver tormented the nation's most explosive offensive player and finished with two sacks, three tackles for loss, three batted balls and a forced fumble.

"I do what I always did," Oliver says.

On where he might have been drafted if he were allowed to leave after his freshman season, he says: "Anywhere in the first round, probably. We're going off stats? First round. If you're judging off football ability, first round."

All the while, his foot never stops bouncing.

        

OLIVER, A SON of Houston, a young man who is hurting because his city is hurting, is much quieter and reserved than normal. It is Sept. 13, 21 days since Hurricane Harvey thrashed the Texas coast, circling the southwest portion of the state long enough to cause massive flooding and devastation to the area.

His body aches more than usual after Houston's first game of the season in Week 2—a 19-16 victory at Arizona that Oliver says he was anxious for, in part because Houston had to cancel its first game of the year because of the storm. Oliver finished with a very Oliver-like 11 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a blocked field goal. In the second game, he added another tackle for loss and forced another fumble in a 38-3 win over Rice.

Pro Football Focus graded him as the No. 4 overall defensive linemen in the country and No. 1 against run last season. One Big 12 head coach declared Oliver the best player in the country. Not just the best defensive lineman or defender—the best anywhere.

One AFC scout does little to refute this claim. "He was the best player on the field every time Houston played," the scout says. "He was the guy from a prospect standpoint that you couldn't take your eyes off. He can do it all."

But rather than boast about his strong start and pick up where he left off, Oliver, who grew up just a short drive from the Houston campus, reflects on the last month.

Like the week his team spent in Austin, far away from the storm, following the devastation through social media and photos his mother sent each day from her Houston home, which managed to stay dry.

Or the feeling of driving back to Houston a week later in the darkness of night, peering out his bus window in hopes he could judge the destruction for himself.

"I think [the team drove back at night] on purpose," Oliver says. "You couldn't see much. It really doesn't hit you until you see it with your own eyes."

Or the Saturday he spent unloading a truckload of supplies when they arrived back home. And the next day he spent inside his uncle's old home, helping him gut the unsalvageable. Unlike so many, Oliver says his family is doing fine.

.@UHCougarFB All-American @Edoliver_11 among UH players helping Flood victims: "Giving back 2the city, come on,who wouldn't want to do that" pic.twitter.com/xVU81SP7vd

— Mark Berman (@MarkBerman_) September 1, 2017

Although nothing since late June has gone as he expected, one thing that hasn't changed is his enviable skill set and desire to convince the rest of the world that he is the best football player on the planet.

"I've got better since last year," he says, his voice finally perking up. "Everything is right where it is supposed to be."

        

BUT FIRST, THE horses. Their names are Caledonia, Oreo, Coffee and Sugar, and they are largely responsible for the person and player Oliver is today.

Before he could relate to people or football, he could relate to horses. At the age of nine, he shared his passion with his father, Ed Oliver Sr. A month later, Oliver Sr. came home with Caledonia, a beautiful red mare. His son quit football for a while when Caledonia arrived. He wanted to be with his new pet instead.

At the time, school didn't come easily. In the classroom, he had a hard time sitting still, especially behind the confines of a desk.

"I was a bad kid," Oliver says. "Always in trouble. The horses were my escape. With them, it was just different."

So he rode and rode. Eventually, he ditched the saddle entirely. Over the years, he and his father purchased more. Oreo, according to Oliver, is a lot like him. "I feel like we fight like siblings," he says.

When he misbehaved, his father would limit his time with the animals. As he grew older, the passion for the animals didn't wane. His father now lives in Louisiana with the horses, and Oliver rides them each time he visits.

"Ed was kind of different," Marcus Oliver, Ed's older brother says. "He liked horses more than he liked football. Now I think he treats them the same. He loves both."

Marcus is a senior offensive lineman at Houston and a legitimate NFL prospect in his own right. His stardom did not come as easily as it has for his younger brother.

They also fought like brothers growing up, bonding with age. Together, they built a barn with their father. Although they are years apart, Marcus views Ed as his twin.

When it came to football, Marcus never forced the game on his younger sibling. When the interest finally took, he was happy to serve as a guide. It was here perhaps that the flashes of potential began. As a seventh-grader at Edwin M. Wells Middle School in Houston, the younger Oliver attended a camp hosted by the local high school coaches.

https://twitter.com/SevenTreyMO/status/851555293079236610

"It was, 'Holy s--t' on every rep," says A.J. Blum, who coached Oliver at Westfield High School before taking a job as Houston's defensive line coach. "I knew then he would be the next one."

Having coached more than 30 defensive linemen who eventually played in college, special talents were not unique for Blum. But this one was different in every way, from his music—a mix of rap and country, these days a combination of Boosie Badazz and Zac Brown Band—to his physical makeup.

Unlike many interior defensive linemen, Oliver has never carried an extra pound if he didn't have to. He was bigger than most growing up, although he's always worn those pounds differently.

"I never wanted to be a fat D-lineman," he says pointing to his nonexistent gut. "I don't think I need to be. If you're stronger and faster than them, you should be better than them."

        

THEY STILL TALK about the night—Oct. 24, 2014. That's when a 275-pound teenager casually picked up a fumble in his own end zone at Dekaney High School and ran 101 yards in the other direction like no 275-pound teenager should.

Prior to this moment, Oliver wasn't exactly a secret. After his freshman season at Westfield, he received his first scholarship offer from Oklahoma. But in a matter of 30 seconds, the defensive lineman who moonlighted at running back on occasion showcased an impossible repertoire.

As the touchdowns, sacks and relentless pursuits of quarterbacks accumulated, so did the recognition. By his senior season, Oliver was labeled as a bona fide 5-star talent by every recruiting outlet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1arjFqoS0U

The mail came as expected. Lots of it. But rather than save the artifacts universities sent as keepsakes for later in life like many prized recruits do, Oliver would drop these items off on his coach's desk for him to discard.

"He didn't want that stuff," Blum says. "He didn't even have a cell phone. He never was impressed with the glitz and glamor—the shiny helmets and the massive stadiums and cool lockers. He was like no other defensive lineman I ever coached."

At the same time, Oliver was mindful of his recruiting standing. To this day, he is fueled by the fact that he was not Scout.com's No. 1 player in the nation.

That constant edge has been his driving light, even if it borders on obsession. During the end of his senior year, Oliver watched his soon-to-be former teammates go through the ritual of completing one-rep maximum lifts during spring football.

Oliver asked the staff keep the heaviest weight from each station on the rack. When each player had posted his max on the squat, power clean, bench press and incline-bench press, Oliver walked up to the bar and unceremoniously completed one stress-free rep before walking out of the gym.

        

FROM A LOUNGE chair in his Houston office, a chair that belonged to his former boss less than one year ago, coach Major Applewhite is taking a trip back in time to the Westfield weight room that Oliver turned into his own personal showcase.

It was there that Applewhite, freshly hired by first-year head coach Tom Herman to be Houston's offensive coordinator, first laid eyes on Oliver, who he mistook for someone too lean to be a defensive end.

"He looked like he was 245 pounds," Applewhite recalls.

While he originally made the trip to Westfield to recruit dual-threat quarterback Dillon Sterling-Cole, Applewhite returned to his office and threw on the tape of the defensive lineman.

"This guy was Malcolm Brown," Applewhite says, citing the gifted defensive tackle he played with at Texas. "This was a 290-pound kid who moves like an inside linebacker."

Houston was hopeful Oliver's desire to play with his brother and in his hometown would lead him to the Cougars, and, indeed, he committed to the school in the spring of 2015. 

As thrilled as the program was to get him, there was an undeniable reality that lingered in the air: Players like these don't come to Houston. They join the SEC and chase championships. They leap into NFL pipelines. They go to places with other five-star players.

Texas wanted him. So did Oklahoma. LSU, a team Oliver is not shy in saying he thought long and hard about, nearly landed his commitment.

"He's a lot like some of the Tigers that I coached," former LSU head coach Les Miles says of Oliver. "He would have fit in at LSU so well."

Ultimately, Oliver stuck with his commitment. He loved the idea of playing for his home city, he loved Tom Herman and he loved his brother.

"I was going to do what I wanted to do," Oliver says. "Regardless of how it happened, I was going to play college football with my brother whether it was at Houston or LSU or somewhere else. Wherever we were going to go, we were going to go together."

        

IT CANNOT BE stressed enough how miserable this man is to block. He is lean but still powerful. He is powerful but still quick. He is quick but still ferocious and angry enough to do something that goes beyond his physical advantages, of which he has most.

Without his pads on, it becomes clear that he presents a unique matchup problem. Not just with a single team or type of offense, but among offensive lineman so accustomed to going up against what are normally clones of themselves.

So just imagine what it was like to be a Houston lineman seeing something like Oliver for the first time up close. Last fall, the coaching staff put Oliver on the second string defense for the first few days of practice. To Oliver, and to those dealing with him for the first time, these were perhaps the longest 72 hours of their lives.

"I've never been so angry," he adds. "I tried to maul everyone."

Within days, Oliver was with the starters and became the centerpiece of the defense. The decision came in part because Oliver single-handedly made life miserable on the first-team offense.

Applewhite wanted to see the first group have success. This freshman, fewer than 48 hours into his collegiate career, was disrupting an offense that scored more touchdowns than all but four teams nationwide the previous season.

A few days later, Applewhite thought he drew up the perfect play. The plan was to get a running back in space and force someone out of position to contain him.

"The problem was that he was being covered by a 285-pound freaking nose guard, and he was being covered really well," Applewhite says. "He was on his hip like a linebacker."

In 2016, Oliver helped Houston conquer Oklahoma and Louisville. Four of his five sacks on the year came in those two games.

While many staffs would be concerned with the possibility of a sophomore slump, Oliver provided no reason to worry. Instead of running against fellow linemen in practice, Oliver pushed to run against linebackers and tight ends.

"There's nothing mellow about Ed," Applewhite says. "There is no off switch, and I love it. I love his energy and love the way he practices. Our guys see that one of the most nationally recognized players in the country is going hard every day. He goes really, really hard."

During last season, the coaches toyed with using Oliver at running back in goal-line situations. The play was 22 Crunch, a simple handoff to the right side of the line so Oliver could carry the ball in his dominant hand.

Unclear why the staff had limited him to only the right side, Oliver convinced Applewhite he was up for it. The next play, he barreled into the end zone at full speed, running behind his older brother. Although it is unknown whether Oliver will be used at running back in 2017, the head coach has not ruled it out.

"I believe you can use him very much like the Texans used J.J. Watt," Marcus says of Ed. "I think we could do similar things."

        

IF HE WERE allowed to leave in a matter of months, Oliver would be one of the most coveted defensive players in the draft. He has all the qualities to be the No. 1 overall pick.

His body and mind are ready for the NFL, even if the NFL isn't ready for him. As it stands now, Oliver owns a squat of nearly 650 pounds. If he had to run a 40-yard-dash, he believes he could come close to running it in 4.6 seconds at 290 pounds.

The notion that he would ever sit out his junior season has not crossed his mind. The entire business of the sport, in some ways, still feels so far away. It's easy to lose sight of the fact that he's still in the infancy of his sophomore season.

Perhaps business will enter his mindset if the dominance continues, and it almost certainly will. "Then maybe you start thinking about insurance and protecting yourself," he says. "But I haven't proven anything."

Although some could view the next couple years as a burden—an obstacle standing in the way of a long, lucrative professional career—Oliver views it differently. He has almost two more full seasons, at least, to make believers of the football world. To convince it that he is the best player on earth. To prove to himself, his biggest and most vocal critic, what he is capable of.

"I'm still not doing enough," he says. "I have to go harder. It will never be enough."

He has at least a few more months to play alongside his brother, the reason he's here to begin with. In the spring, the two matched up against one another for the first time in their football lives. Marcus says the moment felt larger. Ed says his brother was just another player in those few moments, although his tone and voice say otherwise.

Their roles have reversed over the years. Ed is now the teacher rather than the student, showing Marcus how to handle bull rushes, counters and speed the likes he may never see again. Marcus is thankful for all of it—even the most miserable, taxing practice reps.

"I know I'm his brother, but I speak to him as a football player," Marcus says. "He's unbelievable. … I want him to do everything."

While he waits to take his next football step, Oliver will play for Houston. Not just the program, but a city that will be recovering long after he finally departs for the NFL.

During those days away from Houston before the season, as the city was overcome with water, the few hours on the practice field in Austin were the moments Oliver felt like himself. 

The field has always been a place of comfort for Oliver. It was a way of staying in motion and out of trouble as a boy. Now, it is his release. It's a place where names, faces and even his own blood blend together; perhaps the only place Oliver is truly himself.

And for a few hours each Saturday over the next two falls, the city of Houston can find its own release, if only for a short while. It can lose itself in its team and a player who stands proudly for his hometown. He won't be hard to find.

   

Adam Kramer covers college football for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @KegsnEggs.

The University of Houston players will all wear "Houston" nameplates on the backs of their jerseys during Saturday's home opener against Rice.

According to the Houston Chronicle's Joseph Duarte, the gesture will serve as a tribute to those affected by Hurricane Harvey. Cougars safety Garrett Davis said the players found out about the uniform change on Tuesday.

"It's pretty cool," Davis told Duarte. "It will keep the motto of playing for the city. It won't necessarily be a game about us."

Per Duarte, Davis also expressed excitement to represent Houston on the gridiron: "We'll be able to go out and fight for the city, fight for the people whose houses were damaged and aren't able to do the things we are able to do."

Houston's scheduled season opener, set for Sept. 2 against UTSA at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, was canceled. The team defeated Arizona 19-16 on the road last time out.

After catastrophic flooding over the past few days from Hurricane Harvey, the University of Houston announced Tuesday it has canceled or postposed all athletic events for the weekend, including football, soccer, cross country and volleyball.         

The Cougars football team was set to open the season against the UTSA Roadrunners at the Alamodome in San Antonio on Saturday, but the game has been postponed, with the two programs exploring ways to reschedule the contest.

University of Houston president Renu Khator issued a statement:

"Everyone in our university community, including our student-athletes, coaches and their staff, has been impacted by this incredible storm. This is a time for all of us to focus on the well-being of our families and neighbors and the recovery of the Houston area. We'll be excited to resume athletic competition, but right now our student-athletes are anxious to contribute to getting the city we love so much back on its feet again."

As for rescheduling the football game, Kevin McGuire of NBC Sports provided a possible solution:

Houston & UTSA do not have overlapping byes, but UTSA & UAB do. Could move 11/11 game for 9/30, and use Houston’s bye that week to play.

— Kevin McGuire (@KevinOnCFB) August 29, 2017

The Houston Astros have already announced their upcoming three-game series against the Texas Rangers will be at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, while the Houston Texans announced Monday they will play Thursday's preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, instead of at home as scheduled.

Former Texas A&M defensive lineman Reggie Chevis will transfer to Houston, per Sam Khan Jr. of ESPN.

Chevis has one year of eligibility remaining and after graduating in May, he will be eligible to play immediately with his new team. He appeared in 12 games this past season with the Aggies after playing just three the previous two seasons.

The former linebacker excelled in his conversion to the defensive line, finishing with 25 tackles, two for a loss, and one sack.

He will now try to continue improving for Houston, which ranked 30th in the country in opponent points per game and already has a strong defensive line led by Ed Oliver.

The squad had a bit of a disappointing finish to the year after beating Oklahoma and jumping out to a 5-0 start. Unfortunately, it ended the year with a 9-4 record with head coach Tom Herman leaving for Texas.

New coach Major Applewhite will now need to keep the team competitive, and adding players of Chevis' ability will go a long way.