If you're capable of standing out on North Crowley's defense, you're doing something right, and that's precisely what 2027 safety Elijajuan "Fat" Houston does.

The Panthers are littered with high-end FBS talent at every level of their defense, but it's hard to keep your eyes off of th 6-foot-1, 182-pound dynamo wrecking shop at the line of scrimmage or locking down receivers from sideline-to-sideline.

"Yeah, our secondary is crazy," he said. "Playing in the North Crowley defense, they prepare you for the next level. They get you right in every aspect, from the way you wake up in the morning to how you train to how they coach the defense and everything."

Houston has quickly established himself as a "can't miss" prospect in the eyes of colleges across the country. He's one of the state's most-offered recruits in the Class of 2027 with 41. "Fat," a nickname given to him by his mom for being a nine-pound newborn, thinks a lot of these offers are due to his ability to play anywhere in the secondary.

"I’m very versatile," Houston said. "I can play safety, go down to nickel, and play corner. My sophomore year, I got moved back to corner. I’m very versatile in the defense. I fit in wherever the team needs me."

Houston has narrowed his focus to 12 programs: SMU, Texas, Texas Tech, Arizona State, Kansas State, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Stanford and UCLA. 

Three in-state schools made the cut, and nine are out of state. 

 Sure, it would be nice to stay close to mom, but he (and she) are open to going out-of-state if that's what's best for him.

"As long as it’s a good fit," he said. "She (my mom) wants what’s best for me. I don’t have a problem going out of state for sure."

Some of those out-of-state programs Houston is paying close attention to include Arizona State, Nebraska, Kansas State, Ole Miss, Michigan and Oregon. In fact, he'll take his first official visit to Arizona State on April 28.

"I know that’s where all the fun is," Houston said of official visits. "I’m going to have a lot more planned really soon. I’m going to drop everything soon, but I’m really excited for that."

That's not to say Houston isn't intrigued by what's happening near home. 

"Yeah, it’s like North Crowley either feeds into TCU or Texas," Houston said. "That’s the big thing because we’ve had some guys from North Crowley go to TCU and some go to Texas. Like John Turntine III, for sure.

Ultimately, Houston thinks his decision will come down to relationships.

"A big thing is coaches’ trust, not even just with the position coach but with the head coach," he said. "That’s a big thing for sure in my recruitment."