3 Standout Players Willie Fritz Has Sent to the NFL Draft

The 2026 NFL Draft is now officially just a week away from today, with the first round of the NFL Draft kicking off on Tuesday, April 23. And the Houston Cougars may have a few players from their 2025 team who have a good chance of hearing their name called at some point through the seven rounds.

While head coach Willie Fritz is yet to have any player drafted into the NFL at Houston, after year one with the Coogs in 2024, nobody from Fritz's roster was selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, in the 2026 NFL Draft, Fritz has a good chance of getting his first player drafted into the NFL in just two seasons with the Coogs.

In his long coaching career, Fritz has done well to produce NFL talent, having 73 players drafted in 32 seasons as a head coach. With tenures at Blinn College, Central Missouri, Sam Houston, Georgia Southern, and Tulane, here's a look at some of the standout players Fritz has coached to the NFL Draft.

Delanie Walker

During his time at Central Missouri, where Fritz spent 13 seasons, the player who found plenty of success at the level comes in the shape of tight end Delanie Walker. The tight end was a standout in two years as he had 113 receptions for 1,347 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was a two-time All-MIAA and All-Region selection.

After his time with Fritz and Central Missouri was over, Walker headed to the NFL, and in the 2006 NFL Draft, the tight end was selected in the sixth round by the San Francisco 49ers.

While it took a while for Walker to find his role in the NFL, he put together a long career in the pros as he retired as a 14-year veteran. In his decade-plus in the NFL, Walker tallied 504 receptions for 5,888 yards and 36 touchdowns.

His best seasons came with the Tennessee Titans, where from 2015 to 2017, Walker was selected to the Pro Bowl and in that 2015 season was also named a second-team All-Pro.

Tyjae Spears

At his stop right before the Cougars, Fritz spent eight seasons with the Tulane Green Wave, where he made the Group of 5 program a series power. One of those players who played a big part was running back Tyjae Spears.

The running back spent four seasons from 2019 to 2022 with Fritz and the Green Wave, where he rushed for a total of 2857 yards and 31 touchdowns. In his final season in 2022, Spears was named the American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

And in the 2023 NFL Draft, Spears would hear his name called in the third round, being drafted by the Tennessee Titans. In his three seasons in the NFL, Spears has totaled 1,048 yards to go along with eight touchdowns.

Darnell Mooney

While at Tulane, Fritz sent many players who are currently finding their way in the NFL, and another one of those currently on an NFL team is wide receiver Darnell Mooney.

The wide receiver spent four seasons from 2016 to 2019 under Fritz, where he became a key piece to the Tulane offense during his time, as he totaled 151 receptions for 2,529 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Mooney made the jump to the pros after his senior season, being drafted in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. The wide receiver has spent six seasons in the NFL, spending time with the Bears before signing with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency in 2024. Ahead of the 2026 NFL season, Mooney signed a one-year deal with the New York Giants

Throughout his six NFL seasons, Mooney has totaled 309 receptions for 4,028 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns.

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