Fall camp is where jobs get won, depth charts get reshuffled and reputations get built. For Houston, a few players are walking into that stretch with a lot more on the line than most.
Makhi Hughes is one of them. He’s already shown he can carry an offense, rushing for 1,401 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2024.
But last year at Oregon, the production fell off hard, and he managed only 70 yards. The big question now is whether he can get back to the version of himself Houston saw at Tulane.
That possibility is very real under head coach Willie Fritz, who could put Hughes right back into a system that fits him. Still, the pressure is obvious.
Houston wants balance on offense, and when the passing game gets bogged down, the backs have to hold up their end. If Hughes shines in camp, the heat comes off.
If he doesn’t, or if another back beats him out, his place on the depth chart takes a hit.
Ashton Porter is in a similar spot on the edge. The Oregon transfer brings a solid résumé, including 25 tackles and 1.5 sacks last season while going up against some of the country’s best offensive linemen. Now he has to turn that experience into consistent production for Houston.
Porter’s challenge is less about flash and more about proving he can win his one-on-one battles. He doesn’t need to live in the backfield with sacks, but he does need to make quarterbacks feel him - to pressure them, speed them up, make them hesitate.
That’s the kind of work that earns trust. If he can’t do it, Houston could be looking at a different rotation in 2026.
Then there’s Patrick Overmyer, who has the toughest assignment of the group in his first year with the Cougars. He’s being asked to step into the role left behind by Tanner Koziol, one of the best tight ends in 2025 and a major reason Houston finished 10-3.
Overmyer doesn’t have to match Koziol’s numbers. What he does have to do is become a dependable option for quarterback Conner Weigman. Reliability is the standard here - showing up when called on, making plays when the offense needs them, and giving Houston a tight end it can count on.
How Overmyer handles fall camp could shape more than just his own role. It may also help define what Houston’s tight end usage looks like in 2026.
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Houston May Have Found The Missing Piece For Its Offense
Houstons offense added another important layer this offseason when the Cougars brought in Oregon State transfer Trent Walker, a receiver who arrives with a proven track record and a chance to fit quickly into what Houston wants to do in 2026. Walker has been productive over the past two seasons, and the move gives the Cougars another experienced target to pair with senior quarterback Conner Weigman as they try to raise the ceiling of the passing game.
Walker also comes in with a clear goal of becoming more explosive, looking to create more yards after the catch and add more vertical impact to his game. He should not have to do it alone, either, with senior wideout Amare Thomas already established as one of the Big 12s top pass catchers last season, giving Houston a receiver room that suddenly looks a lot deeper and a lot more dangerous. [Read more 🡒]
Jordan Allens Rise Says Everything About Houstons Defensive Standard
Jordan Allens first season in Houston has quickly turned into a snapshot of what this defense expects from its best players. The safety arrived from LSU in 2025 and has settled in as a key piece for PJ Halls unit, showing the kind of range and reliability that make him hard to take off the field. His production has matched the role, with Allen ranking fourth among Big 12 safeties and 16th among all conference defensive players in tackles.
What makes his rise even more notable is that Houston is not treating it as the finish line. Hall has been working with Allen to keep sharpening his game and prepare him for the NFL draft, a sign that the Cougars see both present value and long-term upside in the same player. Allen is still developing, but he is already becoming one of the bigger names on a defense that clearly measures itself by how well its core pieces keep climbing. [Read more 🡒]