The former Houston standout answered all questions at the combine

UH's Ed Oliver aiming to "change the whole defense" when drafted

UH's Ed Oliver aiming to "change the whole defense" when drafted
Cody Stoots/SportsMap

"Just the different swag I could bring to a d-line could probably change the whole defense honestly."

The words of Ed Oliver his next team will hope ring true with every snap he takes in the NFL. Speaking Saturday at the NFL Scouting Combine, Oliver covered everything from the rumors of a position change to his relationship with both of the former Cougars head coaches.

The reports surfaced early Saturday Oliver had been asked to work out at linebacker in addition to his defensive line workouts. The future top-ten pick didn't shy away from the additional challenge.

"I've asked myself to play linebacker too," Oliver joked. "I'm a very athletic defensive tackle. You never know. I might end up playing linebacker in the league. I'm not going to object to it. I feel like I'm a d-lineman. I feel like I'm a 3-technique, but if they pay me to play linebacker that's what I'm gonna be doing, playing linebacker."

The Tennessee Titans asked Oliver to play outside linebacker in his meeting with the team.

While his positional future is up in the air his past came up. Oliver was seen in a shouting match with then Houston head coach Major Applewhite in the team's defeat of Tulane on national TV last season. What does he say when NFL teams ask him about the dust up?

"I answer like I've always answered," he said. "I answer 100 percent truthfully. It was what it was, it was a misunderstanding, we hashed it out a day later. I still keep in touch with Coach Applewhite, and he was my head coach."

Oliver said he still stays in touch with his first head coach at Houston, Tom Herman, the now Texas head coach.

"When (Herman and his staff left) I was proud of him," he said. "As a man you always want to better yourself and he left to better himself."

Oliver has been working to better himself towards an NFL career for years. Just last year he was projected to be the first overall pick in this year's draft but the chances of that are nearly gone.

"You're not the number one pick until you're drafted number one," he said. "I pretty much knew the size thing was going to come up so I never got into it."

Regardless of where he goes and who plays for or against Oliver plans to showoff his playing style which he detailed as fast and violent.

"I do everybody the same way," Oliver said. "Rather your TSU (Texas Southern) or Oklahoma my first game of college football. I play every game the same way just as violent just as fast just as hard."

The Oliver family will take in the draft from home despite the chance he could be one of the first players out of the green room if he attended the draft in Nashville. He said they will "rock out together as a family."

His family is what got him into horses at a young age. He saw someone riding a horse and requested one from his dad. Weeks later he had a horse of his own and still has a couple. He's also got a clear investment plan that aligns with his love of animals.

[ia_video https://s3.amazonaws.com/roar-assets-auto.rbl.ms/runner%2F9316-IMG_9661.MOV source="https://s3.amazonaws.com/roar-assets-auto.rbl.ms/runner%2F9316-IMG_9661.MOV" caption="Ed Oliver retirement plan" attribution="Cody Stoots" videoControls=true shortcode_id=1551571562263 expand=1 ]

NFL teams are probably hoping Oliver is as ferocious as his eventual money-making steers.

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Astros take the opener. Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.

Jose Altuve hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning that sent the Houston Astros to an 8-5 win over the Detroit Tigers on Monday night.

Christian Walker also had a two-run shot in the fourth to begin Houston's comeback from a 3-0 deficit. The Astros still trailed by one when Jeremy Peña singled in the sixth. Altuve followed with his drive off Jack Flaherty (1-3) that crashed off the wall above the left-field seats to put Houston up 4-3.

Altuve had two hits and three RBIs while batting second for the first time since 2023. He asked to move out of the leadoff spot to give him more time to get ready to hit in the first inning after coming in from the outfield. The nine-time All-Star moved to left field this year after spending his first 14 major league seasons playing second base.

Houston’s victory snapped a four-game winning streak for the Tigers, who got two homers from Riley Greene and one from Kerry Carpenter but managed just two other hits.

The Astros tacked on four runs in the seventh with the help of sloppy defense by the Tigers. Rookie shortstop Trey Sweeney made throwing errors on consecutive plays with no outs to put runners at second and third.

Mauricio Dubón singled to score them both and extend the lead. Houston added runs on a groundout by Altuve and an RBI single by Yordan Alvarez to push it to 8-3.

Houston starter Ronel Blanco allowed three hits and three runs while striking out six in five innings. Steven Okert (1-0) worked a scoreless sixth for the win. Josh Hader pitched the ninth for his eighth save.

Flaherty yielded six hits and four runs — both season highs — in five-plus innings.

Key moment

Altuve’s home run.

Key stat

Peña has four hits in two games batting leadoff. He hit first Sunday — with Altuve getting a day off — and stayed in the top spot Monday when Altuve dropped to second.

Up next

Houston RHP Ryan Gusto (3-1, 2.78 ERA) opposes RHP Reese Olson (3-1, 3.28) when the series continues Tuesday night.

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