The 50 most important college players in Texas in 2017 — No. 2: Houston's Ed Oliver

The importance of a player is not always defined by their skill level. The most important player on a team or in a unit is not always the best player on a team. This list is designed to breakdown the 50 most important players in Texas college football for the 2017 season. It is not a ranking of the 50 best college football players in the state. Importance can be defined by position, need, skill or leadership. We’ll count down the list through the summer, all the way to No. 1. Previously:50 – Lamar DE Daniel Crosley / 49 – TCU WR KaVontae Turpin / 48 – UTEP QB Ryan Metz47 – UMHB RB Markeith Miller / 46 – Sam Houston State DE PJ Hall / 45 – Baylor WR Blake Lynch44 – Texas Tech WR Jonathan Giles (transferred) / 43 – Texas Tech RB Justin Stockton42 – PVAMU WR Joshua Simmons / 41 – Rice RB Samuel Stewart / 40 – UNT WR Jalen Guyton39 – Texas RB Chris Warren / 38 – Rice OL Trey Martin / 37 – Texas A&M Commerce QB Luis Perez36 – Baylor DL K.J. Smith / 35 – Texas State LB Gabe Loyd / 34 – Texas State WR Thurman Morbley33 – Houston DB Khalil Williams / 32 – Texas Tech LB Jordyn Brooks / 31 – SFA DL John Franklin30 – SMU DE Justin Lawler / 29 – Texas State QB Damian Williams / 28 – ACU QB Dallas Sealey27 – UTSA QB Dalton Sturm / 26 – Texas A&M RB Trayveon Williams / 25 – UTSA WR Josh Stewart24 – TCU LB Travin Howard / 23 – Texas Tech OL Travis Bruffy / 22 – Rice LB Emmanuel Ellerbee21 – UNT DT Bryce English / 20 – TCU LB Ty Summers / 19 – UTEP LB Alvin Jones18 – The Baylor QB / 17 – UTSA LB Josiah Tauaefa / 16 – Texas A&M OL Koda Martin15 – Texas Tech QB Nic Shimonek / 14 – Texas LB Malik Jefferson / 13 – TexasA&M WR Christian Kirk12 – Houston QB Kyle Allen / 11 – SMU WR Courtland Sutton / 10 – SHSU QB Jeremiah Briscoe9 – Texas QB Shane Buechele / 8 – UTEP OL Will Hernandez / 7 – Baylor RB Terence Williams6 – UNT QB Mason Fine / 5 – The Texas A&M QB / 4 – SMU QB Ben Hicks3 – Texas OL Connor WilliamsThe History Ed Oliver may have only been a freshman for Houston last year, but he wasted no time terrorizing opponents in the American Athletic Conference. Oliver started all 13 games as a true freshman and was named a first team All-American and the AAC Rookie of the Year, as he anchored the defensive line for the Cougars. Oliver finished the year with 66 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and nine pass deflections. His dominating performance against No. 3 Louisville (six tackles, two sacks and three TFL) helped Houston surge to an upset win over the Cardinals late in the season. Oliver was one of the biggest recruits former head coach Tom Herman was able to convince to stay home in the Houston area. He was a five-star prospect and one of the top players in the entire country coming out of Westfield High School and decided to stay in town for is college career. As a senior, Oliver posted 83 tackles, 20 TFL, nine sacks and two forced fumbles – a very accurate glimpse at what was to come for the Cougars last season. The Skillset Oliver is the most talented player in the state on either side of the ball. We'll hear your arguments for others, but we feel pretty confident in our stance. He’s a beast, he flies to the football, and his presence alone forces offensive coordinators to shape their game plan around him. Oliver explodes off the ball and makes a living in the backfield. Even when he’s not able to get to the quarterback, he has quick hands and finished with nine pass deflections. His athleticism creates myriad problems for interior linemen. The Impact At any point in the game, Oliver has the ability to come up with a big momentum-swinging play. Whether it’s his tackles for loss, sacks, forced fumbles or pass deflections, he makes opposing teams know where he is on the field. Oliver shined in his one year with Herman leading the way and Todd Orlando calling the shots on defense, but will be relied upon even more to anchor things with Major Applewhite taking over and Mark D’Onofrio serving as the defensive coordinator. With expectations up in Houston, one thing is clear – Oliver is in store for another big year, and doing so should help ease the transition for everyone.  

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