Well, Cougar fans, welcome to another season of University of Houston football! This year, instead of automatically fast-forwarding to basketball season, you might be able to expect a few more than 3 wins.
Coaching and Recruiting
Willie Fritz is known to be a program builder, and he is entering his second year down on the carcinogenic coast. He was able to turn that shithole of a Tulane program into a perennial winner in the American. Getting a Cotton Bowl win in ‘22 for Tulane, as well as 5 bowl-eligible seasons, compared to 3 losing seasons. Fritz seems to be the man for the job, and he is also now reunited with his coaching partner at Tulane, OC Slade Nagle, who looks to improve one of the most anemic, deplorable, and unwatchable offenses of 2024. If the “offense” turns around, and the defense remains a top-flight defense in the nation, the boys in H-Town could be SCARY. There are still questions over the defense, losing DC Shiel Wood to the oil money boys over at Tech, but Fritz hired a good one in former Florida DC Austin Armstrong. Even if Armstrong is just half as successful as Wood, that UH defense should still cause trouble for their Big 12 opponents because of the talent on that side of the ball. On top of his new hires, Fritz had a masterclass in portal recruiting with the 27th-ranked class in 2025, much better than D*n* H*lg*rs*n ever put together. Fritz was also able to put together a decent freshman class. With notable names such as Austin Carlisle (more on him later), Travis Buhake, and Demetris Dean
New and Improved Offense
The main man looking to make this offense turn a corner, the man who had a 3-year situationship with A&M, is Conner Weigman. Along with Weigman, the man on the Biletnikoff watch list, TE Tanner Koizol, who also came through the portal. Koizol looks to add a new threat alongside Mews, Broussard III, Johnson, Young, and Thomas. This receiving core is very intriguing, bringing in high-level transfers, such as Amare Thomas and Broussard III, adds depth, which is something the Coogs desperately struggled with.
They also struggled with QB play, for which Weigman seems to be a fix (as long as he doesn’t get hurt). Weigman fits very well in a Fritz system, with a poised pocket presence. So does freshman QB Austin Carlisle. Carlisle is a very intriguing prospect for the Cougars. One of the fastest QBs in the nation, he seems to be able to fit in the Fritz system well, and he’s even being touted as a potential punt returner. Zeon Chriss, another good dual threat QB, also returns for another season.
Around Weigman, Carlisle, and Chriss (they will likely be sharing the backfield this year), there is a completely rebuilt O-Line. (Thanks, transfer portal!) Wykoff, Brooks, Agnello, Ebosele, and Merryman will likely be the men protecting them, and Houston also has Demetris Dean as one of the big boys upfront. Donovan Smith and Zeon Chriss had lots of trouble with pressure last season, and they should improve that, giving the pocket passing Weigman time to throw to a rebuilt receiving core.
The Coogs’ one bright side on offense last season was the running game, which is very weird for a Big 12 team, I know. This shouldn’t change much this year. Redshirt Sophomore Re’Shaun Sanford II will lead a fairly loaded running back room with transfer Dean Connors and Stacy Sneed. With the rebuilt line, these backs should do damage and should easily get to the second level.
The offense seems to be very improved from that knockoff Iowa offense they trotted out last year, where the most exciting plays were the punts. The running back room remains strong, the o-line is vastly improved, and there is now much-needed depth in the wideouts, and these wideouts are now paired with two highly-rated tight ends that will be reliable targets for Weigman.
The Defense Should Remain Strong
Nothing much has changed defensively. The Coogs lost Shiel Wood to the Tortilla Tossers, but I’m not sure how much of that defense was Wood himself, or talent and Fritz. The Coogs lost some other big names to the portal, such as AJ Haulcy, but they retained most of their lineup and reloaded on DBs in the portal, such as Blake Thompson. Khalil Laufau and Eddie Walls III seem to be good additions to a solid defensive front for the scarlet and white, with the linebacker core not changing except for Jesus Machado, who was another solid pickup in the portal for Fritz and crew. Despite the loss of Shiel Wood and some transfers, the Coogs still seem to be a top tier defensive team in the Big 12 this year.
The Special Teams
The special teams have always been a strong suit for the Coogs. Jack Martin is gone, but his replacement, Ethan Sanchez, seems to be even better. Mekhi Mews, and maybe Austin Carlisle, seem to be solid returners for Houston. Keeping a long-standing special teams tradition alive for Houston.
The Predictions
Alright I’ll stop edging y’all, it is prediction time. I believe the Coogs will be bowl eligible this year. How bowl eligible is the question, will it be 6-6 or will it be 8-4? In the chaos conference that is the Big 12, anything is possible. So I’m going to go game by game and give my prediction
G1: vs SFA: W
FCS opponent, need I say more?
G2: at Rice: W
Don’t think anymore Bayou Bucket chaos will happen this year like it did in ‘23.
G3: vs Colorado: W
Coach Prime doesn’t have his sons or Hunter anymore. Still not a bad team, but TDECU will be packed for this game, and I have the Coogs in this one.
G4 at Oregon State: W
Toss up in my opinion, after basically playing 4 home games this is a long trip. However, I think the Houston defense and new look Houston offense will overpower the Beavs in Corvallis.
G5: vs The Oil Billionaires Who are Buying a Team: L
This should be an L, but Houston always has a random upset at home up their ass, so don’t be surprised if this turns out to be an amazing football game.
G6: at Oklahoma St: W
Should be a win going into Stillwater. Again, the chaos conference brings us so many surprises, and it isn’t an easy time for the visitors in Boone Pickens either. So this is definitely a toss up, but the Coogs’ defense will hold strong in a defensive matchup.
G7: vs Arizona: L
Another tossup, but after 3 hard games, 2 on the road, Coogs will probably be out of steam against the ‘Cats.
G8: at Arizona St: L
This game is a pretty easy win for the Sun Devils, as much as I hate to say it.
G9: vs WVU: W
One of the worst teams in the conference this year at home, should be a win for the Coogs.
G10: at UCF: L
Houston can never win at the Bounce House, and it really needs to be studied why that is.
G11: vs TCU: L
TCU will be a better team in the Big 12 this year, Coogs might be able to keep it close, but I have TCU here.
G12: at Baylor: L
One of the stronger Baylor teams of the decade, and it’s in Waco. This likely will be a loss for the Coogs, but look for another defensive showdown. (This will be a common theme for the Cougars this year.)
Final prediction: 6-6. The Coogs get off to a strong start but hits a brick wall going into the final stretch of the season with tough opponents.
My ceiling: 9-3, flip Texas Tech, UCF, and Arizona.
My floor: 3-9, flip Oregon State, Colorado, and Oklahoma State.
Bowl Prediction: Armed Forces bowl vs Air Force, win.
Conclusion
This is the best iteration of Houston football in the Big 12, and they will likely turn some heads this season, but they still have a very long way to go. Especially on the offensive side if they want to compete for a Big 12 title.
Written by Jack Harper (X: jackharper.11)
