Tom Herman has not wasted any time getting the locals on his side in Houston. (USATSI)

Notorious front-runner and superstar hip-hop artist Drake paid a visit to Houston football and coach Tom Herman on Friday, receiving a Cougars jersey and snarling at the camera.

Drake's visit, of course, came on the heels of Houston having one of the best weeks of recruiting in program history.

On Wednesday, Herman landed five-star defensive tackle Ed Oliver, the No. 13 player in the nation per 247Sports. Oliver is widely considered to be Houston's highest-ranked commitment in program history, though him picking the Cougars is not completely strange considering he is from the area, his brother is signed with Houston already and his former high school coach is a member of Herman's staff.

Another local-area player, four-star DT Jordan Elliott, committed to the Cougars on Friday, just hours before Drake visited and took the following picture with Herman.

In all actuality, Drake was not on the Houston campus to add the Cougars to his always-growing list of team allegiances. Rather, he was kind enough to host a celebrity softball game in Houston for the second straight year.

Why Houston? Though Drake is a Canadian, he credits rapper Bun B for his transition into music and often does what he can to show the city of Houston some love.

Verbal commitments are not binding until National Letters of Intent are signed by Oliver and Elliott. Nevertheless, Herman is confident that his recruiting strategy for the 2016 class and beyond -- "Your City Is Calling" -- will keep local recruits from leaving Houston for some bigger schools in Texas and elsewhere.