I'm not convinced. He declared early and now it seems like he's choosing not to play so as not to risk injury before the draft - that's up to him, but it's not unreasonable for the coach to say that if he's choosing not to play for them even if he's healthy enough to do so, then he can't still act like he's a part of it.
Ed Oliver could have played at any college in the country. He was a 5 star prospect and chose to play for a mid-major upstart. He made Houston. Tom Herman and Ed Oliver built that program, not Major Applewhite.
It's a bad look for Applewhite and Oliver, but why can't the best player that ever suited up for Houston where a jacket when it's freezing outside?
Applewhite is a bitch for that. It's not like Houston didn't have enough jackets.