Houston is only two days into fall camp, but a few early trends are already coming into focus.
The Cougars opened camp Wednesday morning at 7:45 a.m. inside their indoor practice facility before moving to the outdoor fields, giving the media a full look at the first stage of preparation for the season opener Sept. 5 against Oregon State at TDECU Stadium. With camp just getting started, Houston has already seen some promising signs in a few key spots.
One of the biggest early developments is at wide receiver, where the Cougars have been searching for more depth behind senior Amare Thomas. Sophomore Koby Young looks like a strong candidate to help fill that gap and maybe more.
Even as a freshman, he flashed speed and a knack for winning contested balls, and that has carried over into camp. Young has built noticeable chemistry with senior quarterback Conner Weigman, and he has already been targeted on several deep throws and turned them into touchdowns.
"I told him this spring, he was the most improved player we had from last fall to this spring, and he's carried that over in the summer, and you've seen it in the first couple of days," Nagle said during his media availability on Thursday.
Houston has also had to deal with a setback in that receiver group. Sophomore transfer Muizz Tounkara is dealing with a left foot injury and will be out for some time.
Nagle indicated the injury timeline is similar to what has been discussed already, even while noting how much Tounkara improved over the summer. Meanwhile, Harvey Broussard III and true freshman Jeremiah Bushnell have also seen targets early in camp.
The backfield is another area where Houston appears to have more options than it did a year ago. Senior transfer Makhi Hughes is set to be the starter, but the work behind him is drawing attention.
Junior DJ Butler, who has been in the program since Willie Fritz’s first season, has continued to show the same traits that have made him useful in the past: quickness, elusiveness, and the ability to make a play when he gets on the field. He and junior Reshaun Sanford II are expected to handle reps behind Hughes, and Butler has already made some plays in camp.
At quarterback, Weigman has looked stronger and sharper, with his arm strength standing out early. A healthier offseason seems to have helped him, and that stability has shown up in camp.
Behind him, true freshman Keisean Henderson is still learning, but he has continued to develop through the first days of practice. Henderson will need time to absorb the offense, but being in a room with Weigman should only help his growth moving forward.
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