Houston’s first step toward the Big 12 title race begins this week, when fall camp opens and a season with real conference stakes starts to take shape.
After finishing fourth in the league last year, the Cougars enter the year as a team expected to be in the mix near the top of the Big 12. That’s a sharp turn from the rebuilding they were doing in their first two seasons in the conference in 2023 and 2024. Houston won just four games in 2024, then surged to 10 wins in 2025, a run that ended with a Texas Bowl victory.
That kind of jump has put the Cougars in a different conversation. They’re likely to open the season in the top 25 and should be one of the teams chasing a spot in the Big 12 championship game in December. Houston was projected to get better a year ago, but the way it actually climbed made the Cougars something of a surprise contender in 2025.
The numbers from last season tell the story. Houston went 6-3 in Big 12 play and picked up quality wins, including a victory over Arizona State when the Sun Devils were ranked.
The Cougars also went undefeated on the road. With more stability on the coaching staff and clear progress across the roster, Houston has positioned itself as a legitimate factor in the conference race.
The roster has enough proven pieces to support that push. Senior quarterback Conner Weigman and wide receiver Amare Thomas are back, and the Cougars also added some important transfers, including senior guard Shadre Hurst and junior defensive lineman Ashton Porter.
The schedule gives Houston a path, too. The Cougars do not play BYU, which is expected to be one of the favorites to win the Big 12, and they also avoid Arizona, Arizona State and TCU. The non-conference slate is also considered favorable.
Still, Houston’s season will probably come down to two games, starting early. The first major test comes in Week 3 against Texas Tech, one of the conference favorites. It’s a Friday night trip to Lubbock, and the result could carry major weight in the title picture.
Texas Tech remains the favorite to win the Big 12, but the margin may not be as wide as it once looked. The Brendan Sorsby situation changed the Red Raiders’ quarterback room, and redshirt sophomore Will Hammond is now the starter.
Houston won’t be favored in that matchup, but the Cougars should have a shot after improving their offensive line and adding more depth. The other defining game comes in Week 8 at Utah, another road challenge against a team expected to sit near the top of the conference.
If Houston can handle those two tests and avoid slipping elsewhere, the Cougars could be right where they want to be when the Big 12 race reaches its finish.
In Other News...
Houston Fall Camp Could Change Which Cougars Cash In Biggest
Houstons fall camp is doing more than sorting out depth charts. It could also reshape which players become the programs biggest NIL winners, with several Cougars positioned to benefit if they turn experience and practice reps into bigger roles. Javion White, entering his junior season, already has a track record in the head coachs system, while Sione Fotu brings the kind of physicality and coverage ability that can stand out when coaches are looking for dependable pieces. Anthony Boswell, meanwhile, arrives as a highly regarded offensive line transfer and carries the kind of profile that can draw attention quickly if he fits in the way Houston expects.
The timing matters because these deals tend to move with momentum, and fall camp is often where that momentum gets built. Whites leadership standing is one thread to watch, while Fotu and Boswell are also in the mix for increases if their roles expand in a meaningful way. For a Houston roster trying to sort out who will be central to the season ahead, the financial side may end up reflecting the same players who earn the most trust once the pads come on. [Read more 🡒]
Amare Thomas Is Becoming Houstons Standard For The Big 12 Race
Amare Thomas has already established himself as one of Houstons most reliable offensive pieces, emerging as a leading receiver in 2025 and earning All-Big 12 first-team honors. Even with that recognition, he still fell short of the leagues top offensive award, which only adds to the sense that his rise is still in progress rather than complete.
Now the focus shifts to what comes next and how Thomas sets the tone for a roster that is still sorting itself out. Houstons depth is competitive, its rookies are still in the development process, and Thomas level of play has become a marker for what the staff wants the rest of the group to look like as the Cougars push into another Big 12 race. [Read more 🡒]