2023 DL Devan Houstan Building Strong Relationships with Notre Dame

2023 Saint James School (Md.) defensive lineman Devan Houstan‍ is approaching 20 offers, but that hasn't stopped him from continuing to work on his craft. 

The four-star prospect has made sure to work on his game this offseason and Houstan has also made sure to take time to keep himself sharp off the field. 

"The offseason has been going great," Houstan told ISD. "I've been in the gym and on the field trying to get better every day. I've also been taking care of myself mentally. I've taken time to de-stress and better myself in all aspects." 

Houstan will be the first to critique his own game and he's focused on making sure the details are cleaned up before his senior year. 

"I wanted to work on my explosiveness, especially off the ball," explained Houstan. "I feel I can definitely make more plays if I'm more explosive off the ball. I feel I have a lot more technique in terms of pass rush and in the run game than I've shown on film. I can utilize more of what's in my toolbox." 

When it comes to recruiting, Notre Dame is a program that holds Houstan in high regard and the 6-foot-4, 280-pounder made his way to campus in January. 

It was an eye-opening visit for Houstan, but the trip also served as a chance to spend time with Irish defensive line coach Al Washington. 

"He's a great coach and a great person," stated Houstan. I'm excited to keep the ball rolling with him.

"He's very authentic in what he does. You can tell it's not the used car salesman approach when he talks to you. Coach Washington talks to you as a person and not a product, which is definitely a positive. Recruiting can very easily turn into a business where it takes the fun out of it compared to an actual bond or connection."

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has also made a significant impression on Houstan and his family. 

"It's the same with him. Coach Freeman and I talk on a weekly basis," Houstan said. "My dad hasn't gotten to meet him, but they hit it off when they talked to each other on the phone. My mom really liked him after we went to check Notre Dame out. He's a very genuine guy.
 
"The video that came out when he got announced as head coach with the players freaking out - it just goes to show how much of a people person he is. He runs the program as a family versus being a CEO and the team is his company. He runs it like he's the head of the family and that's great to see."  

When looking at the big picture of Houstan's recruitment, the Saint James School star is taking a mature approach and looking at many aspects most recruits don't even identify. 

"They all have similar things to offer," Houstan explained. "There are things that vary in terms of education, but in general, being able to get out to a lot of schools is a blessing. I'm able to compare and contrast what I see and it's helped open my eyes into what I care about, like the campus size, how many students go to school there or how long it will take for me to get to practice and how close is my dorm to the academic buildings.

"All that stuff starts to run through my mind and I start to compare all the schools I've been to. It's allowed me to start to build a leaderboard in my head." 

Houstan's next step will be finishing out his unofficial visits and then figuring out if he needs to take official visits in the summer. 

"As of right now, I don't have any official visits scheduled," Houstan stated. "I'm probably going to check out a couple more schools and after that, if I'm ready to make my decision, I won't waste the other coaches time and I'll probably commit mid-summer or the beginning of the summer. The latest would probably be during the season. 

"After the next couple visits, if I have an idea, then I'll commit. If not, I'll probably go back for an official to the schools I'm interested in and then make my decision from there." 

Notre Dame continues to be a contender and Houstan hopes to get back to South Bend sooner than later. 

"I'm definitely looking to come up for the spring game, but if not, then definitely later on for an official." 

Rankings
ISD: 91 (four-star)
247: 91 (four-star)
Rivals: 5.8 (four-star)
ESPN: 82 (four-star)
Composite: 92.33 (four-star)

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

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