Notre Dame Commit Profile - DL Devan Houstan

A look at Notre Dame defensive line commit Devan Houstan

Notre Dame added yet another talented defensive lineman to its 2023 class when it picked up a commitment from Devan Houstan. Let's take a look at his recruiting profile.

DEVAN HOUSTAN PROFILE

Hometown: Hagerstown, Md.
High School: Saint James School

Height: 6-5
Weight: 275

IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 150 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.5

Offers: Notre Dame, Michigan, Penn State, Tennessee, Nebraska, North Carolina, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Washington, Kentucky, NC State, South Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Northwestern, Wake Forest, Maryland, West Virginia, Indiana, Duke, Illinois, Rutgers

Recruited By: Al Washington

RECRUITING RANKINGS

ESPN: 4-star - No. 164 overall - No. 10 defensive tackle
247Sports: 4-star - No. 212 overall - No. 29 defensive line
On3: 4-star - No. 289 overall - No. 34 defensive line
Rivals: 4-star - No. 16 defensive line
Consensus: 4-star - No. 225 overall - No. 29 defensive line

FILM ANALYSIS

Houstan fits into both interior defensive line positions in the Notre Dame defense. He has the athletic talents to play three-technique, but it's the nose guard position that Houstan fits best. Notre Dame wants a nose guard that can not only hold up and eat up space, but they want one that can also penetrate and be disruptive, and that is what Houstan can do.

Houstan is tall and has above-average length for an edge player, which is where he mostly plays in high school, but his length projects even better inside. At times he'll lift up at the snap, but more often than not he keeps his pads low and flies off the ball. Houstan has powerful and quick hands, and his block destruction potential is outstanding. He has a good feel for how to use his hands already, and Houstan shows a good array of pass rush moves both inside and outside.

You can see Houstan's hand quickness and power on defense, but it really flashes when he's playing offensive line. On that side of the ball he uses his hands to strike and his punch is excellent. Houstan is a physical defender that plays with a mean streak. With some body reshaping and time in a college weight room he projects to be a big, thick, powerful interior player that can shut down the run.

Athletically, Houstan shows an impressive burst off the line, especially when he keeps his pads down. He's a nimble athlete for his size, which allows him to make double moves with relative ease. This allows him to quickly shoot gaps and execute counter moves. When this is combined with his quick hands and natural power it makes Houstan a highly disruptive player up the middle, evidenced by his 15.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in just eight games last season.

Right now he's an even better pass rusher than a run defender, but with continued enhancement from a technical and consistency standpoint I see Houstan developing into an impact run defender at the next level, one of making plays in the backfield. 

HOUSTAN ARTICLES

Devan Houstan Commits To Notre Dame

Class Impact: Devan Houstan To Notre Dame

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Ranking The 2022 Signees - Offense
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