The Houston Cougars come off a rough start to the Willie Fritz era after a four-win season in Fritz's first season at the helm. However, after an offseason of additions, there's some optimism brewing in Houston.
Looking to improve in year two, Fritz went to work and was busy in the transfer portal, bringing in 30 transfers to Houston, which finished as the No. 27-ranked transfer class per 247Sports, and retained a few players from a season ago who will be looked at to take a jump in development.
The Cougars find themselves in a conference with no true, clear-cut favorite; as for the second straight year, the Big 12 appears to be wide open for any program to claim the title. If Fritz and the Cougars wish to find themselves competing for a Big 12 championship, they will need big seasons from a couple of key players.
Possibly the biggest addition to the Cougars' roster in 2025 is former Texas A&M quarterback Conner Weigman. The former five-star prospect out of Cypress (T.X.) was touted as the No. 3 quarterback in the 2022 class. During his three seasons with the Aggies, Weigman recorded 2,694 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, seven interceptions, with a 60 percent completion percentage.
The Cougars' quarterback play last season was lackluster to say the least, with no quarterback eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark and a 1:2 touchdown to interception ratio between two different starters. The leading passer, Donovan Smith, threw for just 867 yards while throwing four touchdowns and eight interceptions. While Zeon Chriss-Gremillion, who took over the starting job, passed for 824 yards and equaled Smith with four touchdown passes and eight interceptions.
If Houston can find just consistent production out of Weigman, the Cougars could find themselves battling in many close games this season.
Also in the transfer portal, Fritz brought in a massive target for his offense, bringing i n former Ball State tight end Tanner Koziol. The 6-foot-7 tight end had a productive three-year tenure with the Cardinals, recording 163 receptions for 1507 yards and 18 touchdowns while earning All-MAC honors in each of his three seasons.
Koziol will certainly be looked upon to be one of the top contributors to the Cougars' offense headed into the season. If a reliable connection between himself and starting quarterback Conner Weigman can be developed, the pairing could be one of the best offensive duos in the Big 12.
Returning for his senior season, David Ndukwe will have to be the anchor of the Cougars' offensive line. Ndukwe played in 11 games while starting in nine games a season ago, all at left tackle. He was solid, allowing just one sack in 227 dropbacks while also allowing zero quarterback hurries in eight of his 11 games played.
Protecting Conner Weigman, in general, will be big for the Cougars in 2025, but especially protecting his blindside will be key to allowing Houston's offense to run smoothly and giving the quarterback enough time to make decisions with the football.
All three will get the opportunity to start the season on a strong note as Houston will begin their 2025 season against Stephen F. Austin on Aug. 28 at 7 p.m.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!