Willie Fritz made Texas, and especially the Houston area, a priority when he took over at Houston, and that focus is already showing up in the Cougars’ 2026 recruiting class. The group is led by five-star quarterback and No. 1 overall prospect Keisean Henderson, and it also includes three four-star recruits.
One of those four-stars comes from right down the road. John Hebert, the Strake Jesuit product who piled up 8,079 rushing yards and 89 touchdowns on 8.8 yards per carry over his three-year varsity career, arrived as one of the biggest names in Houston high school football. He originally committed to Washington State, then flipped to the Cougars last July.
Now, the 5-foot-11, 180-pound running back is settling into college life and getting a feel for what his first season could look like. Houston has a deep enough backfield that he may not be asked to carry the load right away, but Hebert has a chance to see the field in certain spots as a true freshman.
After fall camp practice No. 8 at TDECU Stadium, Hebert talked about the adjustment and the learning curve that comes with the jump from high school to college.
"It's been amazing. Just being around all these amazing athletes, coaches and just learning from them. All the work we've been putting in, it's been an incredible experience," Hebert said.
Hebert built his reputation in high school as a bursty runner with speed to burn and the strength to finish plays once he got moving. He was the unanimous 2024 All-District 20-6A MVP, and he knows the college game brings a different level of demand. For him, the biggest early challenge has been getting comfortable with the new system and the signs that come with it.
Still, he sounds ready for the responsibility. Houston plans to use him, and he’s embracing that role.
"It's a great feeling knowing that I'm going to be used in this offense. If anything, it makes me want to work even harder. I need to be locked in this entire camp...can't wait to get on the field," Hebert said.
Hebert, ranked No. 8 among running backs in his class, says the expectations that come with his résumé don’t bother him. In fact, he welcomes them.
"I'm glad about the success I had in the past, but I'm glad that puts a lot of expectation on me to do well in college also. I like that pressure on me, and I'm just hoping that I'll continue to succeed," Hebert said.
In Other News...
Houston Is Building The Kind Of Big 12 Roster Fans Love
A preseason look at college football rosters suggests Houston is building in a way Big 12 fans tend to appreciate, leaning into the kind of regional identity that can help a program feel rooted instead of assembled. Rotowires study of the 2026 rosters across the FBS found that, on average, just 32.2% of players are homegrown, meaning their hometowns are in the same state as their school. Against that backdrop, the programs near the top stood out for keeping talent close to home, with San Jose State leading the way and other Texas schools also showing up prominently.
For Houston, the larger takeaway is less about one ranking than the recruiting philosophy it reflects. In a league where roster movement can be constant, a team that can stockpile more in-state talent gives fans something tangible to connect to, from familiar recruiting footprints to a roster that looks more like the region it represents. Georgias SEC profile offered the same lesson from a different corner of the sport, reinforcing that some of the strongest programs still value high school recruiting and local ties as much as any transfer-market shortcut. [Read more 🡒]
Conner Weigman Is Why Houston Fans Are Dreaming Bigger In 2026
Houstons offense took a real step forward from 2024 to 2025, and Conner Weigman was at the center of it. The quarterback accounted for 36 total touchdowns while giving the Cougars the kind of dual-threat production that can change the feel of a season, and the stability around him has only added to the optimism. After a healthy 2025 and an offseason without injuries or system changes, he has been able to spend more time on his mechanics and his body, which is exactly the kind of foundation a program wants when it starts thinking bigger.
Willie Fritz has already seen the difference, and Weigman has acknowledged the improvements, too, which is part of why the expectations around Houston keep rising. The preseason recognition has followed as well, with Weigman landing on the Maxwell Award watchlist for the second time, a reminder that the ceiling here is no longer hypothetical. For a team looking to turn offensive progress into something more lasting, the next step depends on how much more the quarterback can unlock. [Read more 🡒]