Tank Dell is closing in on a return, Patrick Paul kept his streak alive, and a handful of former Houston players left their mark in Week 5 around the NFL.
The biggest update comes from Dell, who remains on injured reserve after opening his 21-day practice window on Oct. 7.
Texans general manager Nick Caserio said Wednesday on 95.7 The Fan, "He's trending, unless he has a setback, he's trending in the right direction. Whether it's this week or next week."
Paul continued his run as one of the NFL’s most durable former Coogs. The Miami Dolphins left tackle started again at Minnesota, giving him his 23rd consecutive start. He was one of five Dolphins to play every offensive snap, logging all 66, and he also took part in four special teams snaps.
Marcus Jones had one of the busiest stat lines of the week for New England. In the Patriots’ 45-17 win over Las Vegas, he made his second straight start at cornerback, returned two punts for 29 yards, moved past 1,200 career punt return yards, and added four tackles, which ranked fourth on the team.
Logan Hall chipped in for Tampa Bay in Houston’s Week 5 roundup as well, recording a quarterback hit on 26 defensive snaps and playing one special teams snap in the Texans’ 26-3 win at Tennessee.
Case Keenum also saw the field late for Chicago after Tyson Bagent was benched. In the Bears’ 31-7 loss at Green Bay, he went 11-for-19 for 108 yards, added one rushing attempt for four yards, and played 23 snaps, or 33 percent of the offense.
Dean Connors contributed on special teams in the Rams’ 37-34 loss to Buffalo, playing 15 special teams snaps, which accounted for 52 percent of Los Angeles’ total. He also made one tackle on a punt return in the third quarter.
Elsewhere, Grant Stuard logged 22 special teams snaps for Los Angeles without posting a statistic in the Rams’ loss to Buffalo. Kyle Allen did not play for Buffalo in that 37-34 win.
Josh Jones did not play for Seattle in its 32-29 loss to San Francisco. Ed Oliver was inactive for Buffalo.
Keith Cooper remains on the Carolina Panthers practice squad, while Tanner Koziol was part of Jacksonville’s 19-17 win over Philadelphia. Payton Turner is on injured reserve with Detroit, and Eddie Walls III is also on injured reserve with the Rams.
In Other News...
Houston Faces Its Biggest Test Yet Against A Surging Big 12 Threat
No. 20 Houston is walking into one of the most meaningful home games on its schedule, with No. 18 Oklahoma State coming to town in a Big 12 matchup that already carries November-level weight. Both teams have just one loss, and both are trying to keep their College Football Playoff hopes in the conversation, which gives this meeting a little extra bite beyond the usual conference stakes.
For the Cougars, the challenge is as much about staying in the league race as it is about protecting their national standing. Conner Weigman has been a steady presence for Houston this season, and Oklahoma State brings its own answer in Drew Mestemaker, setting up a game where every possession could matter. Houston has earned its place in the conversation so far, but this is the kind of test that starts separating contenders from teams still trying to prove they belong. [Read more 🡒]
Willie Fritz Has Houston Football Playing For Something Bigger
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By 2025, the Cougars had turned the corner in a big way, finishing 10-3, winning the Texas Bowl and ending the year ranked No. 22. Now Houston has carried that momentum into 2026, and the program is suddenly operating with expectations that were nowhere in sight not long ago, with a chance to keep building toward something larger in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Is Suddenly Part Of Texas Techs Statewide Rise
Texas Techs surge has turned the Red Raiders into the surprise standard-bearer among the states FBS programs entering Week 7, and Houston has already been part of that climb. The unbeaten start has carried Texas Tech into the national top 10, with a rsum that looks cleaner than some of the other Texas teams drawing attention around the country.
For the Cougars, the connection is obvious in one of those key wins that helped shape the Red Raiders profile. Texas Techs rise has been built on that kind of early-season separation, the sort that matters when rankings and advanced metrics start sorting out the states contenders, and Houston now finds itself tied to a team whose momentum is becoming impossible to ignore. [Read more 🡒]