Nebraska Football vs. Houston Christian: Breakdown, Preview

Houston Christian Scout

Head Coach

Jason Bachtel | 2nd season at Houston Christian; 5th as College HC | 6-8 (.429) at Houston Christian; 22-17 (.564) Record as College HC | Previous HC at Howard Payne (DIII) & Scurry-Rosser HS | Previous assistant stops at Houston Christian, Argyle HS, East Texas Baptist (DIII), North Forney HS, Galena Park HS and Gatesville HS. 

2024 Finish

• Did not qualify for the FCS Playoffs. 

2024 Record & Awards

5-7 (3-4 Southland, T-5th)  | 4x All-Southland Second Team.  

All-Time Series

• First all-time meeting. 

Returning Production

• Passing: 0% 
• Rushing: 39%
• Receiving: 32%
• Tackles: 22%
• TFLs: 22%
• Sacks: 13%
• Turnovers: 27%
• Punts: 0%
• Field Goals: 0%
• Punt/Kick Returns: 31%

Key Departures

• A.J. Wilson | WR | Transfer (UTSA | Team-leading 825 yards and eight touchdowns as a sophomore in 2024. 
• Dion Daniels | OL | Graduated | Named to the All-Southland Conference Second Team offense following his senior season. 
• Dillon Fedor | PK | Graduated | Hit 17 of 20 field goals en route to all-conference honors.
• Cutter Stewart | QB | Transfer (Cisco College) | Houston Christian’s pass leader last season with 1,500 yards, 13 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.   
• Calvin Hill | RB | Graduated | Led the Huskies with 495 yards and four touchdowns after transferring from UTEP. 
• D.J. Harris | LB | Graduated | Team leader in tackles (91) and TFLs (10.0) while adding 3.5 sacks and one interception. 
• Braden Hay | LB | Transfer (Arkansas) | Moved up to the SEC after 86 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, and one fumble recovery for the Huskies in 2024. 
• Semaj Brown | S | Graduated | Grabbed a team-high three picks and 67 tackles in his final season of college football. 
• Zae Smith | DL | Transfer (Cal) | Team-leading 5.0 sacks and second on Houston Christian with 7.5 TFLs. 
• Khary Crump | CB | Graduated | Recorded three interceptions and 10 pass breakups as a senior last season. 

Top Returners

• Champ Dozier | RB | R-Soph. | All-conference kick returner in 2024 after averaging over 32 yards in 10 returns with one touchdown. 
• Darryle Evans | RB | R-Sr. | Was second on Houston Christian with 488 rushing yards in 2024.
• Deuce McMillan | WR | Sr. | Team’s second-leading receiver last season with 383 yards on 30 grabs and four touchdowns.  
• Rufus Toe | DE | R-Sr. | Returns after 26 tackles, four TFLs, and two sacks as a junior in 2024. 

Impact Transfers/Newcomers

• Jake Weir | QB | R-Sr. | Transfer from Mississippi State, where he did not appear in a game over four seasons in Starkville. 
• Keith Wheeler | WR | R-Jr. | Spent first two collegiate seasons at Tulsa before Trinity Valley CC in 2024. 
• Jett Runion | TE | R-Soph. | Played two games in two seasons at Houston before transferring to Houston Christian. 
• Cullen Montgomery | LT | R-Sr. | Starting left tackle after transferring from Memphis; First two seasons were at Oklahoma.   
• Scotty Parker | C | R-Soph. | Transferred to HCU after the last two seasons at Tyler Junior College. 
• Nance Cabasag | RT | Jr. | Starting right tackle for the Huskies after playing at Adams State in 2023 and 2024. 
• Marcus Moore | DT | R-Sr. | Fifth-year senior transfer from North Texas. 
• Amari Deason | DT | Jr. | Appeared in 11 games at Navarro College in 2024, finishing with 31 tackles, two sacks, and two fumble recoveries. 
• Trent Zappe | LB | R-Jr. | Starting linebacker for HCU after three seasons at Western Kentucky. 
• Thio Georges | CB | R-Jr. | The Huskies’ starting corner after playing in six games at Garden City CC in 2024. 

Outlook

Having only started in 2014, Houston Christian is in the early stages of building up its football program entering 2025, especially as it has second-year head coach Jason Bachtel running the show. The Huskies were 5-7 in 2024, which actually ties the program record for most wins in a single season. 

Once a journeyman across the Texas high school football scene, Bachtel commands a team full of transition. HCU’s entire quarterback room departed, including redshirt freshman starter Cutter Starter, who threw for 1,500 yards and 13 touchdowns in all 12 games last season. In his place comes Mississippi State transfer Jake Weir, who tossed for 301 yards and two touchdowns through the first two games. 

Darryle Evans and Champ Dozier give HCU a veteran-laden backfield, but it’s been redshirt freshman Xai’Shaun Edwards with a team-high 200 yards and four scores. The receiver room had to be rebooted after all-conference pass catcher A.J. Wilson transferred to UTSA after a standout sophomore season. Trinity Valley CC and Tulsa transfer Keith Wheeler replaces Wilson, while Deuce McMillan (383 yards in 2024) gives the Huskies a returner. Redshirt sophomore Jett Runion takes the reins at tight end after appearing in only two games across two seasons at Houston. The offensive line had to be rebuilt with three new transfer starters as leader Dion Daniels (Second Team All-Southland) graduated after 2024. 

The defense lost its top five tacklers from last season, including its top linebackers in D.J. Harris (Graduation) and Braden Hay, who moved up to Arkansas after an impressive season with HCU in 2024. Cornerbacks Khary Crump and Semaj Brown each recorded three interceptions last year, but both graduated. However, Xavier Toliver returns after two picks last year, while returning safety Norey Johnson has a team-high 11 tackles in the first two games of 2025. 

Dillon Fedor was impressive as the place kicker for HCU in 2024, going 17-for-20, but he graduated. Replacing him is Charlie Weinrich, who spent the last two years at Kansas and had a redshirt season at Nebraska in 2022. Brady Young is in charge of the punting duties for the Huskies as the 6-foot-3 senior comes from Cincinnati, where he didn’t appear in a game in four seasons. 

Voted seventh in the Southland Preseason Poll, Houston Christian will need to pull some upsets to reach its 5-7 record and third-place conference finish from last season. The Huskies blew out Arkansas Baptist 69-0 in the season opener before falling short to Eastern Kentucky 20-10, who received votes in the FCS poll. If the Huskers were able to beat down on Akron 68-0, then there should be a similar expectation as long as NU gets up ready to play for a bright and early 11 a.m. kickoff.