John Houston is one of the top prospects in the nation, and the composite top inside linebacker in the country is being courted by schools around the nation.
Houston attends San Mateo (Calif.) Junipero Serra High School, former home of athletes from Barry Bonds and Lynn Swann to Jeremiah Masoli and David Bakhtiari. He is projected to play either inside or outside linebacker at the next level, as the recruiting services differ on where in the front seven he will line up.
The rising senior is listed at 6'3 and weighs in at 210 pounds. Rivals and Scout consider him a five-star recruit, while 247sports and ESPN rate him with four stars. He is a composite five-star, however, and is considered the 21st-best player in the class, as well as the top inside linebacker in the country and the fifth-best player in California.
Houston claims offers from Florida State, USC, Oklahoma, UCLA, Florida, LSU, Miami and Notre Dame, among others.
Derrell Warren, West Coast Recruiting Analyst (@yssd): Houston is a tall linebacker recruit standing at 6'3". He's listed at 210 pounds but carries an athletic frame with a strong base and long arms with plenty of room to add weight up top. He should easily top out north of 235 pounds.
At this stage Houston functions best as a sideline-to-sideline 'backer. He does a nice job scraping along the line of scrimmage and keeping blockers out of his chest plate. He uses an exceptional closing burst to finish plays out by the numbers. He projects an excellent "spill" type of player as well, with his ability to run down plays in space. He can easily range from his inside linebacker position out past the numbers to the sideline to stop ball carriers for minimal gains.
Houston is thought of by most as inside linebacker at the next level, but has the natural burst and athleticism to flourish on the outside as well. He's a scheme diverse player who cans either inside spot in a 3-4 defense or nearly any of the three linebacker positions within a 4-3 alignment.
That said, Houston doesn't project as an ideal downhill thumper. He takes his share of lateral steps before driving downhill at times. Highlights can be seen here.
In terms of defeating blockers, he's adept at slipping them with subtle swim moves and hand swipes. Will have to develop more strength at the point of attack at the next level. This is especially true versus better offensive lineman who won't miss their contact points once they get to the second level.
Houston flashes his athleticism out in coverage as well. He re-directs smoothly out in space, showing really good short area quickness, especially for a rangier player. He mostly is seen operating in zone on tape, however. And while seemingly not asked to cover man to man very often, he gets depth in his zone drops and drives down aggressively versus slants and crossers.