Houston Cougars 2026 Season Preview

Conner Weigman is the engine, and he is coming off a career-best campaign. The Texas A&M transfer threw for 2,705 yards and 25 touchdowns against nine interceptions, added 700 yards and 11 scores on the ground, and was named MVP of the Texas Bowl. He is regarded as one of the Big 12's premier signal callers, a tough double-threat who can beat defenses with his legs and understands exactly what this offense wants to do. Two developments point up: he was healthy through spring after an injury-plagued career, and he keeps offensive coordinator Slade Nagle for a second straight season, the first time in his career he has run the same scheme in consecutive years. Five-star freshman Keisean Henderson, the top-rated recruit in his class, arrives as the quarterback of the future and should see spot work while being groomed for 2027.

Weigman has weapons. All-Big 12 wideout Amare Thomas emerged as a go-to threat, catching 67 passes for 966 yards (14.4 per grab) and 12 touchdowns, eight of them over the final five games, and he narrowly missed a 1,000-yard season. Oregon State transfer Trent Walker brings 1,700-plus receiving yards over the past two seasons, and Harvey Broussard III and Koby Young round out a deeper, more explosive perimeter. At tight end, the Cougars must replace fifth-round NFL draft pick Tanner Koziol, one of the country's most productive players at the position, and are counting on UTSA transfer Patrick Overmyer, who accounted for 627 yards and eight touchdowns over two years with the Roadrunners.

Fritz reunited with a familiar workhorse in Makhi Hughes, who piled up roughly 2,800 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns across two seasons playing for Fritz at Tulane before a lost 2025. After just 70 yards on 17 carries in four games at Oregon, Hughes requested a redshirt and transferred to Houston in January to return to his Green Wave form. If he does, he headlines a three-man committee that also features Re'Shaun Sanford II and Rice transfer DJ Butler, a backfield that can run and block.

The line may be the best Fritz has fielded. Returning starters Alvin Ebosele at left tackle and McKenzie Agnello at right guard anchor a group reinforced by three portal additions: left guard Shadre Hurst, a two-time All-AAC pick and three-year starter from Tulane, center Anthony Boswell from Toledo and right tackle Drew Terrill from Miami (Ohio). That trio arrives with nearly 1,300 pass-blocking snaps and a single sack allowed between them, and the unit boasts far more depth and experience than in recent seasons.

Graduation, not the portal, gutted the front. The Cougars must replace leading tackler and interior force Carlos Allen and sacks leader Eddie Walls III, who logged seven sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss. Off the edge, Houston returns Brandon Mack II, who earned a final year of eligibility after a five-sack season, along with Latreveon McCutchin, and adds Ashton Porter, a regular contributor for CFP semifinalist Oregon. Inside, the rotation runs through Khalil Laufau, transfer De'Marion Thomas, Myles Parker and Travis Buhake, and one of that crop of bigger transfers needs to emerge for the run defense to hold up.

Sione Fotu returns in the middle after 12 starts and a 56-tackle season, giving the level a steady veteran presence. Carmycah Glass and Ole Miss transfer Jaden Yates handle the weakside, with the staff still hunting for a fourth reliable body to round out the rotation.

The secondary is the defense's strength. All-Big 12 cornerback Will James, free safety Kentrell Webb and strong safety Jordan Allen all started every game last season and return intact. Jalen Mayo, a first-team All-Southland pick who intercepted four passes at Stephen F. Austin, slides into a corner spot, while Tulane transfer Javion White, a veteran of playoff rosters, is expected to start at nickel. Prized four-star freshman Paris Melvin Jr. flashed on kick returns and in the secondary during spring and profiles as a multipurpose weapon.

The kicking job is unsettled. Zac Yoakam, who handled kickoffs a year ago, is the only candidate with college field-goal experience and enters as the frontrunner, with Jonathan Dimas and Evan Noel, the No. 1 kicking prospect in the 2025 class, competing. Punter Liam Dougherty provides stability, coming off a career-best 44.1-yard average.