Penn State among the first schools to offer 2023 DL Devan Houstan
Penn State football has had plenty of success pulling in prospects from Canada, and although that looks unlikely in the Class of 2022, defensive lineman Devan Houstan could be one to watch to start that trend again in the next class.
Growing up in Ontario, Houstan comes from an incredibly athletic family, as his older brother, Caleb, was considered a five-star small forward for basketball in the Class of 2021. He ended up at Michigan. Devan decided the go the football route, taking up the sport in 2018. After a few seasons in Canada learning the game, he decided to come south to the United States this past summer with hopes of earning a Division I scholarship. All it took was a few games.
“My coach was just on me about making a midseason film, so he helped me make one and we sent it out to coaches. He sent it out to Penn State, obviously, and a bunch of other places," said Houstan. "I didn’t think much of it, honestly. Coming down here from Canada, I didn’t expect to get offers right away. I was kind of thinking more towards the beginning of my senior year, but then I was just at practice one day and my coach told me I had some calls to make later tonight. I thought, ‘OK, just some schools telling me they’re interested,’ and that’s when Maryland told me they were offering.
“That was one of those ‘holy crap’ moments. I know how much tuition costs here, and it’s even more in Canadian because of the exchange rate, so getting that felt incredible. It’s really gratifying. After that, Central Michigan came, Wake Forest, Notre Dame, Penn State. Now UConn came [and Virginia]. So, it feels great, but it’s also just more motivation for me to keep working, keep getting better. I know I can play at this level.”
The past month has truly been a whirlwind for Houstan, with coaches from all over trying to kickstart relationships. For Penn State, regional recruiter Ty Howle, who oversees recruiting for the majority of schools in Maryland, has led the charge.
“The relationship is definitely fresh with them. I’ve talked to Coach Howle for a bit before the offer. He’s covers my area, and we’ve talked a bit about some basics. He got me on the phone and that’s when he let me know that the entire coaching staff reviewed my film and they see me as someone that can help them, especially the D-line coach.
"But for the most part, I’m still getting to know them. Everything so far has been very good. They seem like very nice guys, really cool people, but I’m still learning, still in the beginning stages with stuff like that. I’m excited to get to know them, get to know the process.”
Out of his six offers so far, only Maryland offered as an offensive lineman. The other five, including Penn State, believe his potential best on defense. Before earning an offer, Houstan actually got an up-close look at Penn State when he attended the game against Ball State back on Sept. 11.
“It was crazy. Walking out of the tunnel, with all the fans on the sidelines, chanting at you, telling you to come to Penn State, that was awesome,” Houstan said. “Their crowd was just insane, and it wasn’t even a White Out or anything like that. It was just a normal day game for them. But the stadium is huge, the facilities are nice. The staff I got to meet with was very generous.”
Aside from Penn State, Houstan also visited Pitt and James Madison earlier this season.
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