The importance of the Houston commitment lies in the numbers. The depth chart did not look as deep as the staff would have liked at running back, and we saw this year how many running backs could get injured.
Another problem with the running back depth chart is the fact that many of them have had major injuries in the last year. Gio Bernard has struggled and sat out this last year with an ACL injury, and freshman Travis Riley has had a similar injury. So adding depth to this position is a very good idea.
Houston originally had committed to Mississippi out of high school, but did not have the grades to get in. Assuming he now has the grades, he should be a strong runner for the Heels. While not a heavily recurited or highly-ranked prospect, you never know how well a running back can produce after one year of Junior College. Hopefully, he will carry the ball for a lot of yards instead of just taking up a scholarship.