Big 12 team preview: Willie Fritz has Houston on the upswing. How far can the Cougars go in 2026?
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
|
Rick Egan, Associated Press
Editor’s note: Seventh in a series previewing each team in the Big 12 in 2026.
Willie Fritz is a winner.
After taking over a depleted Tulane program in 2016, Fritz slowly built the Green Wave into a program to be reckoned with in the Group of Five. It took a while, and there were bumps along the road, but Fritz took Tulane to the mountaintop, posting back-to-back 11-plus-win seasons and raising the standard back to a place it hadn’t been since 1998, when the Green Wave went 12-0 with a Liberty Bowl win.
The peak of the Fritz era came in 2022, when Tulane defeated UCF in the American Conference championship game and then stunned USC with a comeback victory in the Cotton Bowl.
After following up the 2022 season with an 11-3 campaign, Fritz drew the attention of a Houston program that had seen a 12-2 season under Dana Holgorsen in 2021, but after 8-5 and 4-8 campaigns, decided to turn the page.
With a lot of roster turnover, Fritz had the customary down first year that most head coaches have in a rebuilding program, going 4-8, but in his second year, Fritz had the Cougars rolling.
Houston finished 2025 with a 10-3 record, including a 38-35 win over LSU in the Texas Bowl, and the Cougars have fresh excitement and hope heading into the 2026 season.
The Cougars are widely expected to be in the Big 12 title mix. A group of 16 conference beat writers picked Houston for a third-place finish in the conference (tied with Arizona, while most sportsbooks have them fifth).
A big reason for the optimism is the return of quarterback Conner Weigman, who threw for 2,705 yards and 25 touchdowns with nine interceptions while completing 65.2% of his passes. He also rushed for 700 yards and 11 scores.
It was a breakout season for the former Texas A&M Aggie, and with Weigman back at the helm, expectations are high for Houston’s offense.
Weigman has plenty of weapons to throw to, including Amare Thomas, who hauled in 67 receptions for 966 yards and 12 touchdowns, and added Oregon State’s Trent Walker (823 yards, 2 TD). They’re also hoping Koby Young (191 yards) can step up this season.
Fritz also reached into his Tulane past to nab Oregon running back Makhi Hughes, who rushed for 1,401 yards and 15 TDs in 2024, but never cracked Oregon’s rotation in 2025. Hughes will be the No. 1 option at Houston, and Fritz is hoping that he can return to his previous form.
Up front, Houston will be replacing three starters with Toledo transfer Anthony Boswell, Tulane transfer Shadre Hurst and Miami (OH) transfer Drew Terrill. Hurst was named to the All-Big 12 preseason team and could be the star of the group. If the new unit can play well, Houston’s offense could be tough to stop.
|
Phelan M. Ebenhack
Defensively, the Cougars will be led by cornerback Will James, who earned a spot on the All-Big 12 preseason team after a 2025 season that included three interceptions, two forced fumbles and five pass deflections.
James is one of six starters that return, including former Utah linebacker Sione Fotu, who tallied 53 tackles last season.
The Cougars will miss cornerbacks Latrell McCutchin Sr. and Wrook Brown, but have Stephen F. Austin’s Jalen Mayo (48 tackles) in the fold this year.
Jordan Allen and Kentrell Webb, the team’s returning safeties, are the strength of the defense.
Houston also returns a couple of key pieces on the defensive line — Khalil Laufau and Brandon Mack II — and added Ashton Porter from Oregon.
If it all goes right for the Cougars, they could be right in the mix for a spot in the Big 12 championship game.
The key games Houston must win to get there are road games at Texas Tech (Sept. 18) and at Utah (Oct. 24).
2026 Houston Cougars at a glance
2025 record: 10-3 (6-4 Big 12)
Utah ties
- Sione Fotu, former Utah linebacker
- Khalil Laufau, Herriman High defensive lineman
2026 schedule
- Sept. 5 — vs. Oregon State
- Sept. 12 — vs. Southern
- Sept. 18 — at Texas Tech
- Sept. 26 — at Georgia Southern
- Oct. 3 — vs. UCF
- Oct. 10 — at Kansas State
- Oct. 17 — vs. Oklahoma State
- Oct. 24 — at Utah
- Nov. 7 — vs. Cincinnati
- Nov. 13 — at Colorado
- Nov. 21 — at West Virginia
- Nov. 28 — vs. Baylor
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos