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          On The Trail

          Recruiting's biggest upset becomes official: 5-star DT Ed Oliver to Houston

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          Herman happy to have Ed Oliver (2:55)

          University of Houston coach Tom Herman explains how he managed to get Ed Oliver to commit to Houston and what he told recruits who were concerned about his job status with the school. (2:55)

          • Sam Khan Jr., ESPN Staff WriterFeb 3, 2016, 03:23 PM
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            • Covers Texas A&M and the SEC.
            • Joined ESPN in 2012.
            • Graduate of the University of Houston.
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          HOUSTON -- When five-star defensive tackle Ed Oliver committed to Houston in May, many fans and observers were skeptical that it would stick. History was on the naysayers' side; no five-star prospect in the ESPN 300 era had signed with a school outside a Power 5 conference before.

          That changed on Wednesday.

          Oliver, who never truly wavered on his commitment, made the biggest upset of the 2016 recruiting cycle official, signing his letter of intent with the American Athletic Conference team in his hometown. He is the No. 4 overall player in the ESPN 300 and held offers from Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Texas and Texas A&M, among many others.

          The 6-foot-2, 277-pound Oliver also received a welcome from Houston rapper Slim Thug:

          Oliver, the No. 2-ranked defensive tackle in the nation, headlines a Houston class that looks to be the only Group of 5 recruiting class in the top 40 of the ESPN Class RankingsInsider and has a chance to finish in the top 25.

          The class has three ESPN 300 prospectsInsider (Oliver, D'Eriq King and Courtney Lark); before this cycle, Houston signed only two ESPN 300 prospects in the ESPN recruiting era (which began in 2006).