Houston DT Oliver will head for NFL next year
— The Sports Xchange —
Defensive tackle Ed Oliver of Houston said he will play his junior season for the Cougars in 2018 before declaring for NFL Draft.
Oliver was selected as the winner of the Outland Trophy as the nation’s best interior lineman last season, the first underclassman to win the award.
“I do plan on leaving (after) this year,” Oliver told reporters. “It’s just the truth. I wish I could stay another year, but it’s just my time to go.
“This was a dream of mine coming in. 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.”
Oliver, who was a consensus All-American in 2017, figures to be a high first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
In two seasons at Houston, Oliver has amassed 39.5 tackles for losses and is considered a candidate for the Heisman Trophy as the best college player in the nation next season.
