Conner Weigman Gets Honest About Houston's Potential
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The Houston Cougars (9-3, 6-3 in Big 12) ended the regular season as the No. 21-ranked team in the country. After an underwhelming 2024 season where the program finished with a 4-8 record, head coach Willie Fritz has completely changed the narrative around Houston Football.
On Tuesday morning, Conner Weigman spoke with the media during the team's Texas Bowl preparation. The starting quarterback for the Cougars stated that he felt the potential was always there for Houston to be a premier college football programs.
“You see it in basketball, just coming over and then dominating year in and year out, and being in the Big 12 and being in the state of Texas, and then the city of Houston. That’s hard to beat.”
Now that Houston seems to have the right coach for the job, Weigman's comments don't seem too unrealistic. With what Fritz and his staff have shown early on their coaching careers at Houston, there's no reason why the Cougars can't be a powerhouse in college football.
The Talent in the Houston Area Doesn't Lie
It's safe to say that the Houston Football program struggled before Fritz took the reigns in late 2023. Aside from a few memorable years in 2021, 2015, and 2011, the Cougars have struggled to find their footing. The program had a track record of missing out on local talent in the Houston area.
After Fritz became the head coach, he sent a message to Coog Nation explaining that his plan was to bring in local talent — and plenty of it. The head coach emphasized the idea that if the Cougars were going to find success, they would have to change their recruiting approach.
Fast-forward to just a few weeks ago, Fritz and the Cougars have delivered on their promise to tap into the rich talent pool in the state of Texas. In the program's 2026 recruiting class, Houston landed the No. 1, No. 32, No. 39, and No. 66 ranked athletes in the state. Keisean Henderson headlines the recruiting class as the No. 1 quarterback prospect in the country.
With Houston gaining momentum on the recruiting trail under Fritz, Wiegman's reference to the talent level in Texas reaffirms the head coach's philosophy. If the Cougars can continue gaining ground in the Houston area, Henderson won't be the only five-star prospect to come through the program in the near future.
The biggest challenge for Fritz and the Cougars? Finding ways to replicate their success next season. While a 9-3 record and a Kinder's Texas Bowl appearance are nice, it's far from what the football program is capable of. Based on his comments earlier this week, Weigman is aware that Houston has even more potential when it comes to football.
