De La Salle High quarterback Bart Houston has orally committed to Wisconsin, the junior signal-caller said Tuesday.

“Wisconsin has a great football tradition and I really liked that,” Houston said. “De La Salle and Wisconsin have the tradition of knowing how to win.”

At 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, Houston was expected to be one of the East Bay’s most sought-after recruits going into the 2011 season. He said his final decision came down to Big 10 schools Wisconsin and Iowa, and he held eight scholarship offers, including five Pac-12 schools.

“I was planning to commit in a month or so, June or July, but right now felt right and I went with it and made a big decision,” Houston said.

Houston also said that academics played a big part in the decision, citing Wisconsin’s reputation as a strong academic school. He said he plans to study chemical engineering in college.

Houston burst onto the scene in 2009 as just a sophomore. He took over as the starter in the fifth game of the season and led the Spartans to 11 straight wins to close out the season. The final win came in the California Interscholastic Federation Open Division championship, a 28-14 win over Crenshaw-Los Angeles.

He continued that run of success as a junior, leading De La Salle to a perfect 14-0 season and another CIF Open Division title. Houston completed 100 of 152 passes for 1,806 yards, 19 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He also rushed for 11 touchdowns.