A Houston Football Starter Is No Longer With The Team
In this story:
As announced on Selection Sunday, Houston football will play in its first bowl game since the 2022 season, where the Cougars defeated Louisiana 23-16 in the Independence Bowl.
Now, the Cougars will stay home and face the LSU Tigers in the Kinder’s Texas Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 27, at 8:15 p.m., inside NRG Stadium, in Houston, Texas.
Unfortunately, Houston will have to do so without starting junior center Demetrius Hunter, who is no longer with the team per Gocoogs.com via X.
What Impact Does Demetrius Hunter’s Departure Have On Houston
Houston is losing one of the best pass protectors and run blockers in the Big 12 Conference with the loss of the veteran center.
Hunter was just a junior, and he was the clear starter at the position for next season.
With his absence from the team, the Cougars are in a real bind with there being six seniors on the offense line.
With the transfer portal now kicking off, expect the Cougars to have a similar aggression in the portal again this season to revamp a depleted offensive line.
Over the next month, also expect a lot of transfers in and out of the program with the transfer portal window now in full effect.
The good news for Houston is that head coach Willie Fritz and staff have already proved that they could navigate the portal well and assemble a roster that is competitive in the Big 12.
What’s Next
Now that the Cougars have finished 9-3 overall and fifth in the Big 12 Conference, Houston shifts its focus towards defeating LSU.
With a win over the Tigers, the Cougars would have their first 10-win season since 2021, and the third in the last decade.
LSU is coming off a disappointing 7-5 record after being rated as the preseason No. 9 team in the country.
With the lack of success, the Tigers went out and made a splash by hiring former Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, who will begin coaching in the 2026 season.
In the meantime, interim head coach Frank Wilson will lead the team in the bowl game against Houston.
Even with several players sitting out or who are expected to transfer, LSU is loaded with talent, and they proved so last week.
In the final game against the No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners in Norman, the Tigers led most of the game, until Oklahoma scored a touchdown in the final minutes of the game to come away with a 17-13 victory.
Houston has a tough matchup on the horizon, but they have several weeks to prepare to cap off a successful 2025 season with a bowl victory.
Ashton Grissom is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He is currently a senior at the University of Houston and majoring in Sports Media Production with a minor in Marketing and Spanish. He also works for two student organizations: The Cougar and CoogTV. You can find Grissom on his Instagram (@ashtonagrissom8) or Twitter (@ashtongrissom8).