Houston’s case for a big 2026 season starts at the top, and it starts with Connor Weigman.
The Cougars have one of the Big 12’s most talented and experienced quarterbacks, and he’s heading into the year already comfortable in Houston’s system. That matters.
It gives him a chance to run the offense with more authority and, just as important, to bring the players around him along with him. For Houston, that kind of quarterback play is the clearest road to another strong season.
Willie Fritz is the other major piece. He’s back, and Houston already knows what he can do with a program.
Fritz has shown he can take a four-win team and turn it into a 10-win team, and the benefit here is continuity. Instead of starting over with new systems and new routes, the Cougars have had time to settle into Fritz’s scheme and sharpen it.
That continuity extends into the schedule, too. Houston does have to deal with Utah, Texas Tech and UCF, but the layout gives the Cougars some breathing room.
Texas Tech comes in week three, UCF in week five and Utah in week eight. In between those matchups, Houston sees lower-tier opponents compared with those three.
If the Cougars can keep stacking wins after the tougher games, another 10-win season is on the table.
The roster around Weigman also looks deeper than it has in a while. Houston signed one of its best recruiting classes in recent memory, headlined by five-star quarterback Keisean Henderson and four-star wide receiver Jeremiah Bushnell. The transfer portal has helped, too, with linebacker Jaden Yates and cornerback Javion White bringing experience and the kind of upside that could make them standouts on defense.
All of that gives Fritz more options than he’s had before. A deeper roster means more chances to rotate players when legs get heavy, and it also opens the door to seeing what the freshmen can do.
Put it together, and Houston has a real path. With Weigman and Fritz in place, a stronger roster and a schedule that doesn’t ask the Cougars to survive a nonstop gauntlet, Houston has a shot at the Big 12 Championship game and even the College Football Playoffs.
In Other News...
Houston May Have Landed A Breakout Star Nobody Saw Coming
Houstons backfield could be getting a much-needed jolt from a name that already carries some familiarity in Willie Fritzs orbit. Makhi Hughes is expected to play a significant role for the Cougars in 2026 after a stop at Oregon, and the appeal is obvious: he has already shown he can handle a heavy workload, and Houstons coaching staff has made a point of bringing players back into the program when the fit makes sense.
Hughes should also walk into a situation that can help him get rolling quickly. Houstons passing offense is strong enough to keep defenses honest, which could open more room for the run game and give the Cougars a chance to feature him in a bigger way than he saw last season. If the pieces come together, this could be the kind of addition that quietly ends up mattering a lot by the time 2026 arrives. [Read more 🡒]