A Rewind of Houston Cougars Big 12 Media Days

By Haider Abbas

Houston’s transition from the American Athletic Conference to the Big 12 has been a tough one, with their last two seasons ending in 4-8. However, with Head Coach Willie Fritz in his second season and plenty of new recruits, 2025 could be the Cougars’ season to take off.

Fritz was present during the Big 12 Media Days, representing the Cougars alongside wide receivers Stephon Johnson and Mekhi Mews, defensive tackle Carlos Allen, and cornerback Latrell McCutchin.

The Cougars are now in unfamiliar territory as they try to navigate through tough times after failing to reach bowl games in two consecutive seasons — their first such drought since 2022. However, the Cougars know how to stand up when knocked down and are focused on getting back to winning ways. With their veteran players and fresh talent, the Cougars will want to change their fortunes in the Big 12, knowing that another 4-8 finish won’t be acceptable this time.

“Every practice, every day we’re coming in with that mindset that we’re not doing that 4-8 anymore,” said Johnson. “We’re not trying to lose games. It’s all about us now.”

This time, however, things are changing for the Houston Cougars. Their head coach, Willie Fritz, is in his second year with the team and is confident in their upward trajectory for the upcoming season.

“Having a full year of getting your guys in your program,” Fritz said. “To be a great recruiter, you’ve got to be a talent evaluator and an information gatherer. We didn’t really have time to do that my first year when I took the job. We did a great job making sure these guys fit with our culture. The majority of the guys I have coaching for me or working in the building either played for me, coached for me, or both. They understand what I’m looking for. That’s what’s going to allow us to have competition at positions. We’ve got some depth this year. That wasn’t the case last season.”

Fritz also highlighted his team’s depth heading into the new season and emphasized the importance of having a big squad in order to achieve a successful campaign.
“We’ve got a lot of legitimate competition positionally,” Fritz said. “Last year, we didn’t have a lot of depth or competition. One guy was kind of going to start for us no matter what. Now, we’re going to have to use our first two or three games to figure out exactly who’s going to be playing and how much they’re going to be playing.”

One of the most exciting developments for Cougars fans heading into the new season is the acquisition of former Texas A&M starting quarterback Conner Weigman. Weigman’s last two seasons were plagued with injuries, and he was only able to play 14 games for the Aggies. He now gets a fresh start with his local collegiate program.

Weigman has already impressed his head coach and teammates. His abilities, both as a quarterback and as a leader, have left no doubt about what he brings to the side. His fitness looks promising as well — he was clocked at 21 miles per hour on the GPS speedometer. When asked about his inclusion in the side, Head Coach Fritz said:

“He’s been everything I hoped he’d be. Great young man. Great leadership abilities. It’s really hard to coach a football team when your quarterback’s a prima donna. That happened to me one year, many years ago. I made a decision that would never happen to me again. He’s just been aces. We’re very fortunate to have him in our program. Interacts with everybody. Just a real old-fashioned type of quarterback.”

What’s in the future for the Cougars and Fritz remains to be seen, but their ambitions for the new season know no boundaries. With a full-fledged squad and an experienced coach at the helm, will 2025 finally be the year of the Cougars?