Fall camp always has a way of sorting out a roster, and for Houston, the real story is in the battles that will shape the 2026 season.
Some jobs are already spoken for. Conner Weigman and Amare Thomas are locked in. But around them, a group of younger players is trying to force its way into the picture, and a few of those competitions could end up mattering a lot.
The backfield is one of the first places to watch. Makhi Hughes brings starter experience, but he is hardly alone in the mix.
DJ Butler and Re’Shaun Sanford II are also pushing for the top spots, and the Cougars still need someone who can separate from the pack. Whoever wins the job will have to do more than just take handoffs.
Houston needs a back who can come through in key moments, create explosive plays and take some of the burden off Weigman. Consistency is the name of the game there.
The secondary may be even more important. If Houston wants to have success in the Big 12, it has to find defensive backs who can hold their ground and protect their areas.
Junior defensive back Javion White is transferring in and looks likely to claim a starting role, but the rest of the picture is still unsettled. Jalen Mayo, JD Rhym, Will James and others are all in the fight for those spots.
Fall camp will show which players can limit big plays, win their matchups against receivers and prove they have the experience to become elite.
At receiver, Thomas and Trent Walker appear set as the top two options, but the slot job is still open. Houston has plenty of talent there, and the decision may come down to how Willie Fritz wants to use that spot.
Harvey Broussard III offers experience and has been dependable when called on. Braeden Robinson brings a different appeal as a freshman, using speed and athleticism to make up for what he lacks in experience.
Fritz has to decide whether he wants the steady veteran or the young player who could be part of the future.
Tight end is another major question mark, and maybe the most obvious one on the roster. With Tanner Koziol gone, Houston has to choose a direction.
The Cougars can lean toward a blocking tight end to help the run game, or they can go with a receiving tight end to give Weigman another option in the passing attack. That call belongs to Fritz as well.
Jaivion Martian and Luke McGary are among the players who could step into the role Koziol left behind, whether as pass catchers or blockers.
These are the battles that will define camp, and they’ll tell Houston a lot about what kind of season is coming.
In Other News...
Houstons Biggest NIL Bets Are Suddenly Under Serious Fall Camp Pressure
Houston has spent the offseason trying to stretch a smaller NIL budget into real roster help, and the Cougars did it by leaning hard on the transfer portal and high school recruiting. The additions were meant to raise the floor quickly, with Oregon transfer Porter, Miami (OH) offensive lineman Terrill and Oregon State receiver Trent Walker all arriving as players expected to matter right away for a team trying to climb in the Big 12.
Terrill came in as the most expensive of the bunch, while Walker brings a track record that suggests he can be more than just a depth piece after a productive season at Oregon State. Porter adds another layer to the mix, giving Houston a portal haul that looks ambitious on paper even if the real test is still ahead in fall camp, where the Cougars will find out whether those investments are ready to pay off when the pads come on. [Read more 🡒]
Houstons 2026 Big 12 Path Looks Brutal For One Major Reason
Houstons path through the Big 12 in 2026 is already looking tougher than most schedules, and the reason starts under center. The league is set to put a deep crop of quarterbacks in Houstons way, with names like Julian Lewis, Alonza Barnett III, Avery Johnson, Drew Mestemaker and Devon Dampier all looming as problems in different ways. For a team trying to climb in the conference, that kind of weekly quarterback talent can turn a good defensive plan into a survival test.
Dampier stands out as the headliner on that list, but he is hardly the only one who can force Houston to spend the week game-planning around one player. Johnson brings a dangerous dual-threat element, Mestemaker arrives with momentum after his North Texas run and move to Oklahoma State, and Lewis and Barnett add more high-end upside to a slate that does not offer much relief. The Cougars may get the usual share of breaks and bounces over a season, but the quarterback draw in 2026 suggests they will need to earn nearly every one of them. [Read more 🡒]
Houston May Finally Have The Veteran Pass Rusher It Needed
Houstons defense enters 2026 with some familiar faces back in the fold, and Brandon Mack II is one of the most important. The senior linebacker, who arrived from Ole Miss and was reclassified as a junior in 2025, has steadily carved out a bigger role and now looks positioned to be a central piece for a unit that also brings back quarterback Connor Weigman and wide receiver Amare Thomas on the other side of the ball.
Macks value goes beyond just experience. Houston has reason to believe he can help change the tone up front, where a veteran edge presence can matter as much against the run as it does in obvious passing situations. After showing clear year-to-year progress, he enters this season as one of the players most likely to shape how disruptive the Cougars can be, even if the full extent of that impact is still to be determined. [Read more 🡒]