Are the Houston Cougars Looking Past the Texas Bowl?
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The Houston Cougars are going bowling right in their own backyard.
After an impressive year two under coach Willie Fritz, Houston is set to take on the LSU Tigers in the Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 27.
Ahead of the bowl game, Fritz spoke to the media on Monday and previewed not only the upcoming bowl game but the impending transfer portal window.
“Big team,” Fritz said. “They’re really big on the offensive line. Two really active interior guys on the defensive line. Big, tall and long in the secondary. You don’t see that a lot at schools. They’re a really talented squad. I think they’ve been a top-10 recruiting class the past three, four five years, so obviously got a lot of very good players.”
While living in in the present, Fritz is keeping an eye on the future and revealed he had some of Houston’s signees at practice.
“It’s good to have them here,” Fritz said. “I think they’re all very very excited. I saw a couple of them talking to eachother back behind the offense or the defense and I said ‘Don’t talk to them, talk to a veteran and see what’s going on.’ This will give them a little bit of an advantage over some of the other guys with what they’re doing. It’s great to have them. I believe we have nine guys.”
Early enrollees in attendance included Keisean Henderson (QB, Legacy the School of Sport Sciences) Paris Melvin Jr. (ATH, Cypress Springs), Mudassir Abdullah (S, West Columbia), Bryson Castile (LB, Arlington Bowie), Rhett Gray (OL, Weatherford), Noah Abebe (OL, Friendswood), Jeremiah Bushnell (WR, Iowa, LA), Javen Holmes (S, Madison Prep Academy), and Keavon Roberts (WR, Port Arthur Memorial).
Although the Coogs are set to face off against the Tigers this week, Houston also has to prepare for whatever the transfer portal may bring, with the window set to open in early January.
“We really want to keep as many of these guys here as we possibly can,” Fritz said. “You’ve got to address each situation as it occurs. You anticipate what-ifs, but that’s about the extent of it. You don’t want to go overboard.”
Fritz also revealed that he plans to be aggressive in the portal, targeting only players that he expects to come in and start for the team on day one. Before the Cougars can focus on the future, they have to get past Lane Kiffin’s LSU Tigers.
