Real, proven turnaround pattern repeating
Fritz did the same 4-8-to-breakout jump at Tulane before doing it again at Houston in year two — a coach with a specific, repeatable track record worth weighing heavily.
BIG 12 FOOTBALL COMPANION GUIDE • ALPHABETICAL 7 OF 16
HOUSTON COUGARS
2026 Season Snapshot • Houston, Texas
9-3 (Big 12)
BIG 12
2026 Schedule
Live schedule, lines and results for Houston.
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HEAD COACH
HANDICAPPING PROFILEHEAD COACH
Willie Fritz — 3rd season at Houston
LIFETIME COACHING RECORD
153–107 (22 seasons, multiple programs)
Built Tulane into a 12-2, AAC-champion program (2022) after an 8-year rebuild before taking over a Houston team coming off a rough Big 12 debut. Followed a 4-8 first season with a real breakthrough in 2025 (9-3, Texas Bowl appearance vs. LSU) — the exact turnaround profile that made him a proven fixer at Tulane.
HOUSTON ATS RECORD
No single published career ATS figure
2025 finished 9-3, a dramatic five-win improvement from Fritz's 4-8 debut season. Houston's offense jumped from 132nd nationally to 60th under OC Slade Nagle — real, measurable in-season improvement rather than just a better record.
HEAD COACH SALARY (2026)
$4.5M
TEAM NIL VALUATION (EST.)
Not disclosed
PRIMARY NIL COLLECTIVE
The Huddle (school-run
NIL/support program) Coach salary per CollegeNetWorth (5-yr, $22.5M deal through 2028, per Houston Chronicle reporting). Houston has not disclosed a team NIL figure; The Huddle is the athletic department's own direct fan-support program for NIL and operating needs, rather than a separate third-party collective. Incoming freshman QB Keisean Henderson individually carries a $1M On3 NIL valuation, the highest ever for a Houston recruit.
HANDICAPPING NOTES
- Real, proven turnaround pattern repeating: Fritz did the same 4-8-to-breakout jump at Tulane before doing it again at Houston in year two — a coach with a specific, repeatable track record worth weighing heavily.
- Elite QB continuity plus the nation's highest-rated incoming recruit: Conner Weigman (former Texas A&M five-star) returns after reviving the offense, with five-star freshman Keisean Henderson — Houston's highest-ever rated recruit — waiting in the wings for 2027.
- A dozen returning starters puts Houston near the top of the country in returning production: Beat writers specifically flag this as raising 2026 expectations into potential Big 12 title contention.
COORDINATORS & SCHEME
OFFENSE / DEFENSEOFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Slade Nagle • 2nd season • Multiple
Credited by Fritz for the offense's 72-spot national jump in 2025. Returns Weigman plus preseason All-America WR Amare Thomas (accounted for over a third of Weigman's passing yards, 11 TD in 2025) — full continuity at the two most important skill positions.
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Austin Armstrong • 2nd season • Multiple
Enters year two with Athlon specifically flagging Houston's linebacker room and secondary as top-half Big 12 units — real returning strength on defense to pair with the offensive improvement.
2025 SEASON RECAP
RECORD & VENUE NOTES2025 RECORD
9–3 (Big 12)
Texas Bowl vs. LSU. A 5-win improvement from Fritz's debut season, driven by transfer additions Conner Weigman (QB), Dean Connors (RB) and Tanner Koziol (TE) alongside a specific, credited offensive scheme jump under Nagle.
HOME FIELD
TDECU Stadium
Artificial turf (UBU Speed Series), Houston. A program with real local recruiting momentum under Fritz (14 Texas players in one cycle alone) entering a season where Athlon ranks the Cougars in the upper half of the Big 12 across the board.
PRIMARY SKILL PLAYERS
2026 PROJECTED STARTERS| SLOT | PLAYER | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB1 | Conner Weigman | — | ★★★★★ | TOP TRANSFER Texas A&M transfer and former five-star; revived Houston's offense in 2025, helping it jump from 132nd to 60th nationally. Backed up by five-star freshman Keisean Henderson (Houston's highest-rated recruit ever, $1M On3 NIL valuation) for 2027. |
| RB1 | Makhi Hughes | — | ★★★★★ | TOP TRANSFER Oregon transfer (also played at Tulane; 540 career carries, 2,849 yds, 22 TD); the projected 2026 starter after Dean Connors signed with the LA Rams as an undrafted free agent following the 2025 season. |
| WR1 | Amare Thomas | — | ★★★★★ | 2026 Preseason All-America selection; accounted for more than a third of Weigman's passing yardage and 11 TD in 2025, the clear top returning weapon. |
QB1Conner Weigman—★★★★★
TOP TRANSFER
Texas A&M transfer and former five-star; revived Houston's offense in 2025, helping it jump from 132nd to 60th nationally. Backed up by five-star freshman Keisean Henderson (Houston's highest-rated recruit ever, $1M On3 NIL valuation) for 2027.
RB1Makhi Hughes—★★★★★
TOP TRANSFER
Oregon transfer (also played at Tulane; 540 career carries, 2,849 yds, 22 TD); the projected 2026 starter after Dean Connors signed with the LA Rams as an undrafted free agent following the 2025 season.
WR1Amare Thomas—★★★★★
2026 Preseason All-America selection; accounted for more than a third of Weigman's passing yardage and 11 TD in 2025, the clear top returning weapon.
OFFENSIVE LINE
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real depth for the first time | OL | — | ★★★★★ | Fritz has specifically noted the line finally has "some depth... which we really haven't had before" — a real, credited structural improvement heading into 2026. |
Real depth for the first timeOL—★★★★★
Fritz has specifically noted the line finally has "some depth... which we really haven't had before" — a real, credited structural improvement heading into 2026.
HANDICAPPING NOTE — O-LINE
- Fritz's own comments flag the O-line as a genuine, new strength rather than a lingering weakness — worth tracking early protection numbers for Weigman as confirmation.
DEFENSIVE LINE
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Front seven under Armstrong | DL | Part of a defense Athlon ranks in the upper half of the Big 12; year two of DC Austin Armstrong's system provides real continuity. |
Front seven under ArmstrongDL
Part of a defense Athlon ranks in the upper half of the Big 12; year two of DC Austin Armstrong's system provides real continuity.
LINEBACKERS
2026 PROJECTED- Houston's linebacker room is specifically flagged by Athlon as one of the program's top-ranked units in the entire Big 12 — a real defensive strength entering 2026.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secondary a top-half Big 12 | — | — | Also specifically flagged by Athlon as a program strength; specific 2026 starters to be confirmed closer to Week 1. |
| — | DB | ★★★★★ | |
| unit | — | — |
Secondary a top-half Big 12—
Also specifically flagged by Athlon as a program strength; specific 2026 starters to be confirmed closer to Week 1.
—DB★★★★★
unit—
SPECIAL TEAMS
KICKING, PUNTING & RETURN GAME- Overall: No major specialist storylines flagged for 2026. With a dozen returning starters and units ranked in the upper half of the Big 12 across the board, Houston enters 2026 with real, credentialed expectations after Fritz's proven turnaround pattern repeated itself in year two.
Notes
Saved Just J research for Houston.
Quarterback
Elite QB continuity plus the nation's highest-rated incoming recruit
Conner Weigman (former Texas A&M five-star) returns after reviving the offense, with five-star freshman Keisean Henderson — Houston's highest-ever rated recruit — waiting in the wings for 2027.
Personnel
Handicapping note
A dozen returning starters puts Houston near the top of the country in returning production: Beat writers specifically flag this as raising 2026 expectations into potential Big 12 title contention.
Offensive Line
Offensive line outlook
Fritz's own comments flag the O-line as a genuine, new strength rather than a lingering weakness — worth tracking early protection numbers for Weigman as confirmation.
Notes are maintained in the Admin area — no code changes required.