3 Things We Learned About the Houston Cougars Offense This Spring
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Spring camp has now come and gone for the Houston Cougars, giving the fans a look at how Willie Fritz and crew are going to be shaping up for the 2026 season.
Most eyes will be on presumed starting quarterback Conner Weigman and true freshman Keisean Henderson and the weapons that they have on offense, specifically wide receiver Amare Thomas and running back Makhi Hughes, the latter of whom transferred to Houston from the Oregon Ducks.
Luckily, spring camp is the exact thing that previews the positives and negatives for a team, and here are a few things that we learned about the Coogs as the 2026 season sits just four-and-a-half months away.
What We Learned
Weigman's Got Weapons
After the success he saw with the team last year, Connor Weigman will look to stay healthy and repeat his breakout, which should be an easy achievement with the offensive firepower surrounding him under center.
Wide receiver Trent Walker comes over to Houston from Oregon State after an 823-yard campaign in 2025, and running back Makhi Hughes should bring some elite production as well. In two years with Tulane, Hughes was wildly productive, amassing 2,779 yards and 22 touchdowns before transferring to Oregon for the 2025 season.
Keisean Henderson is Legit
He likely won't start barring any catastrophe with Weigman, but Henderson's work throughout the spring has allowed the Cougar fanbase to take a sigh of relief knowing that the team will be in good hands after Weigman heads to the NFL.
Henderson caught everyone's attention with a 50-yard dot earlier in the spring, showing his accuracy with the deep ball, an area that Weigman has been hit-or-miss on.
Like we said, don't expect the early enrollee to start any opening drives just yet, but the competition between the two quarterbacks spells nothing but efficiency for the team on the field during the season.
Big 12 Powerhouse on the Rise?
That efficiency just needs a little bit of explosiveness behind it during the regular season and Houston could easily be contending for at least the Big 12 Conference Championship.
With the depth at receiver with Thomas, Walker, a returning Kobe Young, as well as the skill and swiftness of Hughes and getting Re'Shaun Sanford II back after he missed all of 2025 with injury, Willie Fritz has the pieces to building one of the nation's most complete teams on offense, it's just a matter of putting them together.
We will see how well they're connected on September 5, when the Cougars host the Oregon State Beavers to open the 2026 regular season.
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