The Houston Cougars football team is hoping for better things in Year 2 under head coach Willie Fritz.
Last season, he and the Cougars went 4-8 overall and 2-7 in the Big 12. But Houston did score a couple of nice Big 12 wins over TCU and Kansas State, the former of which was on the road.
Fritz — a long-time coach who has won at every level, from junior college to Group of 5 programs like Tulane — still has a steep road ahead of him and the Cougars. Houston had to fight the transfer portal once again, but this time, Fritz and his staff have more continuity and experience to work with.
Whether that translates into more wins and, perhaps, a bowl bid, remains to be seen.
Lindy’s Sports recently published its preview for the Big 12, including the Cougars. Heartland College Sports will weigh in with our previews later this summer.
The magazine picked Houston to finish 10th in the Big 12. Here are three thoughts on the preview.
THE NEW QUARTERBACK
Perhaps no team in the Big 12 has a more interesting quarterback situation than Connor Weigman. The three-year player at Texas A&M was a much-ballyhooed recruit when the Aggies signed him for the 2022 class. The former five-star recruit was considered the No. 1 quarterback in the country. But he never lived up to the billing.
In three seasons with the Aggies, he never passed for more than 1,000 yards and never grabbed hold of the starting job full-time. Now, he returns home (he’s from nearby Cypress) to try and inject life into an offense that ranked No. 132 in the nation in scoring last season (14.0 ppg).
Maybe it’s not the most interesting situation. Perhaps it’s the biggest gamble. Was A&M simply not a good fit? Or was Weigman never the five-star recruit he was supposed to be? Houston hopes it is a better fit, and Weigman produces like the five-star player he was touted as a few years ago.
SOLVING FOR HAULCY
Former Houston safety A.J. Haulcy was one of the Big 12’s best players a year ago, regardless of position. He made big plays every game. Coming off an incredible season, he took his talents to LSU in the transfer portal. That’s a big hit.
He was key to a defense that was in the Top 50 in the country in scoring, rushing, passing, and total defense. So, who gets to replace him? Lindy’s believes the new starting safety will be Blake Thompson, who was at LA Tech last year. The other starting safety is expected to be holdover Kentrell Webb.
It may take both to replace what Haulcy brought to the table a year ago.
THE STEALTHY NEW WEAPON
Tight ends tend not to get much attention — unless they produce gaudy numbers.
Perhaps that’s why Lindy’s named tight end Tanner Koziol as the top newcomer. The transfer from Ball State — who spent a few months at Wisconsin before transferring again — could be the perfect security blanket for this offense.
Why, because he produced. Last season with Ball State, he caught 94 passes for 839 yards and eight touchdowns. That’s as good as you’re going to get from a tight end.
One thing to consider — in his first two seasons at BSU, he caught a combined 69 passes. Has he been underutilized, sharing time, or a late bloomer? And can Houston get him in the right plays to produce like he did a year ago?
Hope someone at Houston has been breaking down some Ball State tape.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
