Houston football is back in familiar territory.
The Cougars checked in at No. 23 in the 2026 preseason AP Top 25, earning preseason recognition from The Associated Press for the first time since 2022 and the 13th time in program history. Houston also landed at No. 24 in the US LBM Coaches Poll, giving Willie Fritz’s team a pair of early national rankings before a snap has been played.
That preseason nod traces back to a strong 2025 season. Houston finished 10-3 overall and 6-3 in the Big 12, a six-win jump from 2024 under Fritz. The Cougars also closed the year with a 38-35 win over LSU in the Kinder’s Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium, where Conner Weigman threw four touchdown passes to match the Texas Bowl record previously set by Patrick Mahomes in 2015.
Weigman was one of the biggest drivers of that surge. The senior quarterback threw for 2,705 yards and 25 touchdowns, while senior wideout Amare Thomas piled up 966 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Both are set to continue their careers with Cougar football this season.
Houston’s last AP preseason appearance came after the program’s standout 2021 run, when the Cougars finished 12-2 overall and 8-0 in the AAC. Clayton Tune passed for 3,546 yards and 30 touchdowns that season, and Houston averaged 413.9 yards and 35.9 points per game.
That team made history in a few different ways. The Cougars went 8-0 in conference play for the second time in program history and the first time since 2011, ripped off 11 straight wins, and reached the AAC championship game against No.
4 Cincinnati. Houston then finished the year with a 17-13 win over Auburn in the TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl, securing the third 12-win season in school history.
Tune earned MVP honors after throwing for 283 yards and two touchdowns.
Other major pieces from that 2021 squad included Tank Dell and Alton McCaskill. Dell later went in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft to the Houston Texans.
AP college football polls began in 1950, and the preseason rankings are voted on by roughly 60 to 70 sports journalists using team statistics from the previous season.
Houston opens the regular season against Oregon State at 11 a.m. Sept. 5 at TDECU Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
In Other News...
Former Houston QB Lands A Role Cougars Fans Will Want To Watch
Zeon Chriss-Gremillion is getting a new stage to open the season, and it is one Houston fans will likely keep an eye on. Tulane head coach Will Hall has named the former Cougars quarterback the starter for Week 1, giving him a chance to lead a program that has been searching for stability under center while he tries to carve out a bigger role after stops at Louisiana and Houston.
Chriss-Gremillion won the job over Kadin Semonza, and his path now comes with a little extra intrigue because of where he has already played. Tulane will also be going with its fourth different Week 1 starting quarterback in four seasons, so there is no shortage of pressure or uncertainty attached to the assignment, especially for a player whose name still carries some familiarity in Houston circles. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Just Made A Late Defensive Move Fans Need To See
Houston kept adding to its defensive backfield by bringing in safety Myles Rowser, who arrives from Arizona State after being granted an additional year of eligibility. It is another experienced piece for a secondary that will have plenty of competition to sort through before the 2026 season, and Rowsers path has been a winding one through Campbell and New Mexico State before his stop in Tempe.
Rowser comes to Houston with plenty of game exposure, having appeared in 52 games across his college career, and that kind of mileage should give the Cougars a useful veteran presence as they piece together the back end of the defense. He will now enter the mix with a chance to win a starting job, which makes this a move worth tracking once spring work and fall camp begin to clarify where he fits. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Fans Got The Weigman Update They Needed Most
Conner Weigman gave Houston fans a reassuring update this week after a brief scare in camp, when the senior quarterback felt slight discomfort in a muscle while throwing. The coaching staff chose to rest him for four to five days as a precaution, and both Willie Fritz and Weigman made clear the move was about making sure the Cougars starter is fully healthy when the season begins.
Weigman said he feels great after the downtime, and the message from Houston is straightforward: no rush, no unnecessary risk, just getting the quarterback to opening day at 100 percent. For a team looking to build around him, the update matters less for what happened last week than for what it suggests about the plan going forward. [Read more 🡒]