Notre Dame rising junior Devan Houstan moves from defensive to offensive line
Devan Houstan was one of Notre Dame’s many marquee recruiting wins of the 2023 cycle, as the Fighting Irish beat out Penn State, Michigan, Tennessee and many others. He came to Marcus Freeman‘s program as an interior defensive lineman, but his position changed ahead of spring ball.
The official Notre Dame football roster updated Tuesday — a day before spring football in South Bend begins — and Houstan was listed as an offensive lineman. He wore No. 98 previously and will rock No. 52 moving forward.
Houstan appeared in just three games in his first two seasons at Notre Dame, registering two solo tackles. He played against Florida State and Virginia in 2024, while making his Fighting Irish debut against Wake Forest in 2023.
At 6-4, 297 pounds, Houstan likely projects as an interior offensive lineman for Notre Dame. He’ll look to develop this spring and in the fall and hope to make his way on the field in 2026. It would be a surprise to see him play meaningful snaps during his junior season this fall.
Houstan graduated high school at St. James School in Hagerstown, Md. but is originally from Mississauga, Ontario in Canada. He ranked as the nation’s No. 249 overall player and No. 33 defensive lineman nationally according to the 2023 On3 Industry Ranking.
His older brother, Caleb, is a guard for the NBA’s Orlando Magic.
Look for the following interior defensive lineman to contribute for Notre Dame this fall: Gabriel Rubio, Donovan Hinish, Jason Onye, Jared Dawson and Elijah Hughes, among others potentially.
More on Houstan’s athletic path to Notre Dame
Houstan wasn’t able to play high school ball in Canada for the 2020 season due to COVID-19 related reasons. With no sophomore season, he needed to improve his chances of getting noticed as a junior. Thus, he made the move to the United States after hearing about St. James School.
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“I wanted the opportunity to play Division I football and some day make it to the NFL,” Houstan told Blue & Gold during the recruiting process. “I wanted to come here and play against better competition and get put on a bigger platform. It worked, thank God.”
Houstan recalled a moment when his head coach sat him down at the beginning of last football season and told him that with his size and skills, he’d become a Division I prospect. That’s when it clicked with Houstan that he had a shot to play at the next level.
“I didn’t have any expectations, but I didn’t think it’d come this fast,” said Houstan. “I remember when I got my first offer [from Maryland], and I called my mom. She was crying; it was definitely a blessing. I have to keep my head on straight, stay humble and keep working.”
“He brings an energy to the classroom,” St. James defensive coordinator Colin Ponder said. “He has fun in there and makes other students have fun and want to be there. He’s a really good student and has a larger than life personality.”
