Houston enters 2026 with a roster that already has a few clear pecking orders, but the Cougars still have plenty of room for competition inside several position groups. That’s the kind of problem ranked teams like to have, and Houston is sitting at No. 24 in the coaches poll.
The bigger goal is obvious: break out of the Big 12 middle tier and start acting like a program that belongs in the conversation year after year. With Houston positioned in the No. 6 metro by GDP in the U.S.A., the setup is there. And these five players look like the ones most likely to drive the charge in 2026 by leading the team in at least one major statistical category.
At quarterback, there isn’t much mystery. Conner Weigman is set to be the starter in 2026, and it will be his final college season.
Keisean Henderson may eventually have a bigger career in scarlet red and white, but this year belongs to Weigman as QB1. He threw for 2,705 yards, 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 2025, and with a better group around him on offense, he’s in line to get near 3,000 yards or even clear that mark.
At this spot, the hierarchy is settled.
The backfield could be more complicated, especially with Re'Shaun Sanford II expected to be part of the picture after coming back from injury. Still, Makhi Hughes arrives with real proof that he can be the guy in Slade Nagle’s system.
Hughes rushed for 1,378 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023, when Tulane was still in the AAC, then spent a year at Oregon with limited opportunities before reuniting with the play-caller who helped him break out with the Green Wave. Trent Walker, an Oregon State transfer, should compete too, but Hughes looks like the favorite to lead the run game.
Amare Thomas is another name with a clear path to a big season. He was close to 1,000 receiving yards last year, and this time the pieces around him may be strong enough to pull some attention away from his side of the field.
That could open the door for him to finally get over the 1,000-yard mark. Of course, that still depends on Weigman and how often he chooses to tuck it and run instead of throwing.
Even so, Thomas is the top slot option, and if he stays healthy, the numbers should follow.
On the edge, Brandon Mack looks like the Cougars’ main pass-rushing threat. His sack total has climbed from three in 2024 to five in 2025, even as his tackle total dropped.
With Eddie Walls III off pursuing an NFL career, Mack’s job is pretty simple: get after the quarterback. He’s also entering his eighth year in college football after signing with Ole Miss’s 2019 high school class, and with the five-in-five rules coming, this is his last shot at a season like this.
At age 25, Houston needs him to make it count.
The tackle leader projection points to Jaden Yates, who comes over after a big run at Marshall in 2024, when he led the Sun Belt with 120 total tackles. He also made the CFP semifinal at Ole Miss and logged 55 tackles there before landing at Houston.
Even in his first season in Austin Armstrong’s system, Yates should fit right in and play like the same old force. Unlike Mack, he could still have a 2027 return ahead of him, but 2026 looks like the year he sets the tone and finishes as Houston’s leading tackler.
In Other News...
J'Wan Tugler Gives Houston Another Defensive Identity Fans Can Trust
Houstons recent defensive backbone has been built as much on versatility as on effort, and JWan Tugler fits right into that conversation. The Cougars have long been defined by toughness on that end of the floor, but Tugler has become another name that reinforces the idea that their identity is not just a slogan. He is part of a small group of college players drawing attention as potential defensive prospects for the 2027 NBA Draft, alongside Byrd and Natt, with each bringing a different kind of value as evaluators look for players who can guard, disrupt and adapt.
For Houston, that matters because the modern NBA keeps rewarding teams that can defend multiple styles without losing structure. Tuglers profile, like the others in that defensive class, points to the kind of player who can matter even before the offense fully catches up. The buzz around him is not about a flashy scoring ceiling so much as whether his defensive traits translate to the next level, which is exactly the sort of question that has helped past prospects rise once teams start projecting what they can do when the game gets bigger and faster. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Fall Camp Is Starting To Reveal Some Surprising Role Battles
With under two weeks left before regular-season practice, Houstons fall camp is starting to show where some of the quieter job battles stand. Willie Fritzs latest update offered a useful snapshot of the kicking competition, with redshirt sophomore Jonathan Dimas currently working as the first-team placekicker, while the staff continues sorting through the rest of the depth chart and getting a better look at returners and a handful of promising freshmen.
The offensive line is another area taking shape, especially on the second unit, where several players have started to emerge in the mix. There is also optimism that some injured players will be back in the coming weeks, which could make these final camp practices especially important as the Cougars try to settle a few spots before the season begins. [Read more 🡒]