Houston Cougars

Head Coach: Willie Fritz
Offensive Coordinator: Slade Nagle
Defensive Coordinator: Austin Armstrong
2025 Record: 10-3
2025 Conference Finish: 6-3 (4th)
2026 Record Projection:
    Ceiling: 11 wins
    Floor: 5 wins
Top NFL Prospects: Brandon Mack II, Amare Thomas
Biggest Impact Transfers: Makhi Hughes, Shadre Hurst
Most Likely Impact Freshmen: Keisean Henderson, John Herbert (RB)
Biggest Strength: Linebackers / Defensive Depth
Biggest Concern: Proven Offensive Depth
Most Important Game: Kansas State
Trap Game: Oklahoma State

QB: Texas A&M waited for Conner Weigman to break out and he finally did last year at Houston. The numbers are not flashy and he is probably never going to be a guy throwing for 4,000 yards, but he does enough to win games and gives this offense stability. Freshman Keisean Henderson has a lot of talent and should end up being the future of the program. Don’t be surprised if he gets a few drives here and there this season. Look for Weigman to build on last year and give Houston its best quarterback play in years. 

RB: Makhi Hughes reuniting with Willie Fritz is huge for this offense. He already knows the system and runs with the kind of patience and toughness Fritz wants from his backs. He is not a home run hitter every carry but he keeps the offense on schedule and wears defenses down. Houston has lacked that consistency at running back for a while. Behind him though this room gets thin fast. DJ Butler has experience and can help in spots, but if Hughes misses time this could become a real issue for the Cougars. 

WR/TE:  Keeping Amare Thomas was massive for Houston as he was  one of the more productive receivers in the Big 12 last season with 966 yards and 12 touchdowns. He gives this offense a dependable target and somebody Weigman can trust when plays break down. Houston is also hoping  Harvey Broussard III  returns to his 2024 form. Trent Walker should help after coming over from Oregon State and Koby Young is a player the staff seems to like. The problem is proven depth. There are bodies in this room but not many receivers who have actually done it at the Big 12 level. At TE the staff is excited about Patrick Overmyer coming over from UTSA who gives Houston a capable receiver and blocker.

OL: Houston attacked the portal hard up front and the staff should be excited about Anthony Boswell, Shadre Hurst, and Drew Terrill because they immediately look like the three best offensive linemen on the roster. Boswell especially looks like a future all conference caliber center and Hurst fits perfectly in this offense after already playing for Willie Fritz at Tulane. Terrill brings toughness and experience at tackle which Houston badly needed. This group should be much better than last year and there is enough talent here for this to become one of the more improved offensive lines in the Big 12. Depth is a major concern. 

DL: This is probably not going to be a dominant defensive line, but there is real depth here and Houston at least has enough bodies to rotate players without falling apart late in games. Khalil Laufau looks like the leader of the group after a solid season last year. The battle at nose tackle is worth watching too as both De’Marion Thomas and Ejiroghene Egodogbare have good talent even though neither played much last season. Houston needs one of them to become a real difference maker against the run because the interior defense was pushed around too often last year. 

LB: This should be one of the better linebacker groups in the Big 12 and one of the strengths of the entire team. Sione Fotu is back after a productive season giving  the defense a steady veteran in the middle. Transfers Jaden Yates and Miller Malone give this unit great depth and both should factor into the rotation quickly. The edge group may be even better. Brandon Mack II looks like an all conference caliber player and Houston is counting on him to lead the pass rush. Mack and Latreveon McCutchin combined for 9 tackles for loss and 6 sacks last season, but bigger numbers are expected from both this year 

DB: There is a lot of returning talent in the secondary and this should be one of the better ballhawking units in the Big 12. Houston brought back players who combined for 9 interceptions last season and there is experience all over the back end. Jalen Mayo and Will James both showed good instincts at corner while Kentrell Webb and Jordan Allen give Houston a solid safety duo with plenty of starting experience. Javion White is another player who should see a lot of snaps after a productive year at Tulane. This group still gave up too many big plays at times last season, but there are enough experienced defensive backs here for Houston to trust these guys in man coverage more often this year. 

ST: Special teams is  a little unsettled heading into the season. Houston brought in a transfer kicker but Zac Yoakam has one year on Houston’s roster which give him the edge for familiarity. Liam Dougherty has a big leg at punter and averaged over 44 yards per punt last season. This probably is not going to be a major strength for Houston, but it also should not be the disaster it was during stretches last year. 

Coach: Willie Fritz is still one of the more respected coaches in the country and Houston showed flashes late last season that the program may finally be starting to fit what he wants to build. The roster looks deeper, older, and much more physical than it did a year ago. Offensive coordinator Slade Nagle remains one of Fritz’s closest longtime assistants and the staff clearly believes continuity matters after all the roster turnover Houston has dealt with. Defensively, Austin Armstrong is still trying to turn this unit into a more aggressive group that can create pressure and takeaways consistently. This is probably the most complete roster Fritz has had at Houston so far and expectations are starting to rise because of it.

Outlook: Houston is going to spend all season trying to prove last year’s 10-win season was not a fluke, and there is a good argument that this roster is actually deeper overall. The schedule is more manageable and Houston should be favored in a lot of its games. The defense has real depth for once and the linebacker group may end up being one of the best in the conference. There are still some concerns about proven depth on offense and whether the pass rush can consistently affect games, but this looks like a legitimate contender for the second tier of the Big 12 behind Texas Tech.

QB
1. Conner Weigman — SR — 6'3/210 — Houston
  2. Keisean Henderson — FR — 6'5/195 — HS 
RB
1. Makhi Hughes — SR — 6'0/210 — Oregon 
  2. DJ Butler — JR — 6'0/190 — Houston 
WR
1. Amare Thomas — SR — 6'0/205 — Houston
1. Trent Walker — SR — 6'2/195 — Ore St
1. Koby Young — SO — 6'0/180 — Houston
  2. Harvey Broussard III —SR—6'3/185— Hou
  2. Jaquise Martin — SO —5'10/180— Houston
  2. Muizz Tounkara — SO — 6'3/210— Florida 
TE
1. Patrick Overmyer — JR — 6'5/230 — UTSA 
2. Luke McGary — SR — 6'4/250 — Houston
T
1. Alvin Ebosele — SR — 6'6/310 — Houston
1. Drew Terrill — SR — 6'6/300 — Miami (OH) 
  2. Ronnell McClain — SO — 6'4/325—Houston 
  2. Troy Pless — FR — 6'5/295 — HS 
G
1. Shadre Hurst — SR — 6'2/295 — Tulane 
1. McKenzie Agnello — SR — 6'4/310 —Houston
  2. Larry Crawford — JR— 6'5/300 — Houston 
  2. Hingano Hautau — SR — 6'6/325 —Houston 
C
1. Anthony Boswell — SO — 6'2/300 — Toledo 
  2. Demetris Dean II — FR — 6'4/300 — HS 

DE
1. Ashton Porter — JR — 6'3/280 — Oregon
 2. Chance Bryant — SO — 6'2/255 — Houston 
NT
1. De'Marion Thomas — JR — 6'2/340 —Ok St
 2. Ejiroghene Egodogbare—SR —6'3/310— Yale 
DT
1. Khalil Laufau — SR — 6'3/290 — Houston 
  2. Myles Parker — SR — 6'1/325 — Houston
Edge
1. Brandon Mack II — SR — 6'4/245 — Houston
 2. Latreveon McCutchin — SR — 6'3/245 — Houston 
LB
1. Sione Fotu — SR — 6'0/230 — Houston
1. Carmycah Glass — JR — 6'4/230 — Houston
 2. Jaden Yates — SR — 6'1/225 — Ole Miss 
 2. Miller Malone — JR — 6'2/220— West Kent
CB
1. Jalen Mayo — SR — 6'2/190 — Stephen F. A
1. Will James — JR — 6'0/185 —  Houston
2. JD Rhym — SR — 6'2/190 — Houston 
2. Keany Parks — SR — 6'1/180 — Houston
NB
1. Javion White — JR — 5'11/190 — Tulane 
   2. Johnsley Barbas — JR —5'11/190 — Hous
S
1. Kentrell Webb — SR — 5'11/190 — Houston
1. Jordan Allen — JR — 5'11/200  - Houston
  2. C.J. Douglas — SR — 5'11/200 — Houston
  2. Jamaal Shaw — JR — 6'1/200 — Houston 
K
1. Zac Yoakam — SR — 5'8/195 — Houston
P
1. Liam Dougherty — JR — 6'2/205 — Houston 

Makhi Hughes, Conner Weigman, and Brandon Mack II may end up deciding whether Houston simply has another solid season or actually pushes toward the top of the Big 12 standings. Hughes gives Willie Fritz the kind of dependable workhorse back his offenses are built around and Houston badly needs the run game to stay consistent. Weigman is just as important because stable quarterback play changes everything for this offense. Houston does not need huge numbers from him, but it does need him healthy and efficient. On defense, Mack looks like the player most capable of turning the pass rush into a real strength. If all three have big seasons Houston could spend most of the year in the conference title conversation.