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          No. 60 Tyrie Cleveland commits to Tom Herman, Cougars

          • Gerry Hamilton, ESPN Staff WriterDec 11, 2015, 02:01 AM
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          Receiver Tyrie Cleveland, the No. 60-ranked prospect in the class of 2016, has become another jewel in the crown for Tom Herman's American Athletic Conference champion Houston Cougars.

          Cleveland, who is the No. 6-ranked receiver, announced Thursday that he would attend Houston, picking the hometown Cougars over Oklahoma and Texas A&M. Cleveland had been committed to the Aggies from Oct. 2014 until decommitting this past April.

          Cleveland is the second top prospect from Houston's Westfield High to commit to the Cougars.

          Five-star defensive tackle Edward Oliver, the No. 4-ranked prospect in the nation, selected Houston in May. Herman hired Corby Meekins away from the head coaching role at Westfield in January, making him the Cougars' tight ends and fullbacks coach.

          Oliver and Cleveland are joined in the class by a third ESPN 300 prospect out of the Houston area, former TCU verbal Courtney Lark, along with nine other prospects from the area.

          The commitment of Cleveland adds to what could potentially be a history-making class. Since ESPN expanded rankings from the original ESPN150 to the current ESPN300 beginning with the 2013 class, a non-Power 5 team has never inked a prospect ranked 60th or better. The Cougars now have two.

          When Oliver committed, he was the first five-star in the seven-year history of ESPN's star ratings to pick a non-Power 5 program.

          Houston currently has the No. 33-ranked recruiting class, according to RecruitingNation, and Cleveland's pledge is likely to improve that position when the new rankings are revealed Dec. 16.

          The Cougars could move up even further. Multiple players who issued verbal commitments to other schools, including Westfield QB Dillon Sterling-Cole (Arizona State) and athlete D'Eriq King (TCU), are both still considering Houston.

          The position of greatest need for the Cougars remains offensive line, with two or three more slots in the class to be filled in that area.