Houston quarterback Conner Weigman is carrying serious momentum into the 2026 season, and his work at the Manning Passing Academy only added to the buzz.
Weigman is coming off the strongest year of his career, helping lead Houston to a 10-win season in 2025. He threw for 2,705 yards and 25 touchdowns last season, production that put him among the Big 12’s top passers. He also made plenty of noise as a runner, piling up 171 carries for 700 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground.
That kind of all-around production helped earn him a spot among the standouts at the 2026 Manning Passing Academy. Weigman was recognized alongside 10 other quarterbacks, a group that included Arch Manning, Julian Sayin, CJ Carr and Trinidad Chambliss.
The Manning Passing Academy has become one of the biggest summer stages for quarterbacks in college football. The event’s website describes it this way: “For more than 50 years, the Manning family and the quarterback position have been practically synonymous with one another. As such, their summer vacations always revolve around the Annual Manning Passing Academy… a family-owned and football camp that embraces the basic fundamentals of football while catering to the offensive skill positions of RB, TE, WR…. and of course QB,”
For Houston, Weigman’s presence on that list says plenty about how far he’s come since arriving with the Cougars.
He’s also heading into the season with help around him. Amare Thomas returns after serving as Weigman’s top target last year, and Houston added former Oregon State wideout Trent Walker to the mix. Walker brings a big body of work with him, having totaled 149 catches for 1,724 yards and four touchdowns over the past two seasons.
With Weigman continuing to shine this offseason and a pair of proven receivers in Thomas and Walker, Houston has a quarterback who could be right in the middle of the Big 12 race this fall.
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The most intriguing watchlist starts with Tugler, Thomas Jr. and Gillespie, three players whose paths to the league would look different but still trace back to Houstons ability to identify, develop and showcase talent. Tuglers defensive impact already gives him a clear identity, Thomas Jr. is staring at a season that could define his draft stock, and Gillespie arrives with eye-catching production from his time at Kent State. The question now is which one can turn this years promise into the next step in the Cougars NBA pipeline. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Just Added A Transfer WR Fans Will Want To Watch
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Walkers presence gives Houston another name to watch as it pieces together its offense for the Big 12 stretch ahead, especially with a roster that could use more proven production on the outside. His fit alongside Amare Thomas is one reason this addition has drawn attention, but how the Cougars plan to deploy Walker and where he ultimately settles into the rotation is still part of the story. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Faces The Kind Of Utah Test That Can Break A Season
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The Cougars also have to keep one eye on Devon Dampier, who can hurt a defense in more than one way and make every read-option snap feel like a stress test. If Houston can stay disciplined, win the turnover battle and get timely disruption from players such as Jaden Yates, the game starts to tilt toward the Cougars' terms, and the margin for error shrinks fast for a team trying to keep its bigger goals in view. [Read more 🡒]