Oklahoma Sooners running back Jovantae Barnes (2) runs past Houston Cougars defensive back Kentrell Webb (8) after a reception during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Houston Cougars at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Houston Cougars 2025 Football Position Preview: Safeties

Originally posted on Houston Cougars on SI
By Aaron Raley | Last updated Aug 24, 2025 6:30 PM ET

The Houston Cougars gear up to start their second season under head coach Willie Fritz and third season in the Big 12 Conference as they prepare for their season opener coming up Thursday against the No. 23 (FCS) Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks.

The Cougars didn't quite have the 2024 season they were likely hoping for, with only nine passing touchdowns and nine rushing touchdowns the entire season culminating in a 4-8 season, 3-6 against Big 12 opponents.

The team will welcome a new plethora of faces to their starting lineup after a successful offseason of transferring, bringing in quarterback Conner Weigman from Texas A&M, tight end Tanner Koziol from Ball State, and wide receiver Amare Thomas from Alabama-Birmingham.

The 2025 Houston Cougar Safeties

Another position on the team that is going to be learning some new names in the safeties, with only two projected to return to "The Cage" for the 2025 season.

Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK

Let's take a look at who will be on the depth chart for Willie Fritz at safety for 2025.

Blake Thompson, redshirt junior

Thompson returns to the Big 12 Conference with the Coogs after spending 2024 with the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and the 2022-23 seasons with the Iowa State Cyclones.

Thompson's 55 total tackles were third on the Bulldogs last season, including a season-high 12 tackles against the Tulsa Green Wave, and he also forced two fumbles and broke up two passes.

The defensive back comes from a football family, with his father Anthony playing a full stint with Texas A&M in the late 1980s and later with the Green Bay Packers in the NFL, and his brother Corey played for the LSU Tigers from 2012 to 2017 and also played in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets.

Jordan Allen, redshirt junior

And speaking of LSU, Allen hops from the Southeastern Conference to the Big 12 after three seasons with the Tigers, playing in 16 games and starting two.

He totaled 20 tackles, with 12 solo stops, and will be looking to make a name for himself during his new start with Houston.

Kentrell Webb, redshirt junior

Finally, a returning Cougar.

The Katy, TX native enjoyed a breakout 2024 in H-Town, starting all 12 games and recording 54 total tackles (fourth-most on team), three passes defended, and a fumble recovery.

Like many other members of the current Cougars team, Webb spent some time under Willie Fritz's coaching while at Tulane and followed the head coach down to Southeast Texas before the 2024 season.

The Cougars and Lumberjacks face off Thursday, August 28 at 7:00 PM from TDECU Stadium.

This article first appeared on Houston Cougars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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