Former Houston Cougars Football Star Praises 2025 Team
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The Houston Cougars football program has officially come back to life and is back to being a player in college football, thanks to coach Willie Fritz and the 2025 turnaround.
Houston went from 4-8 in 2024 to 10-3 in 2025 with a Texas Bowl win, the first postseason victory since 2022. It was the biggest turnaround in the FBS this past season.
That has made waves and gained a lot of notice around the city. Some of the great Houston alumni have seen the progress their former program has made, and it has brought pride back to Houston football. The Cougars have had some great players throughout their history, and one of the most recent greats was quarterback Case Keenum.
He was spotted at Fertitta Center for the Houston men’s basketball game on Saturday against Cincinnati, sitting court side like he does for a lot of Cougars games. Keenum gave his thoughts on the past Houston football season, and there was a lot of appreciation shown.
Keenum With Praise for 2025 Houston Football
Keenum, who played at Houston from 2007 to 2011, was arguably the most prolific passer of his generation in college football. A two-time Sammy Baugh Trophy winner, which goes to the top college football passer in the country, Keenum lit up during his time with the Cougars.
He threw for 19,217 career passing yards and 155 passing touchdowns, both of which are current NCAA records. Keenum also holds the record for completions, 300-yard games, and multiple 5,000-yard passing seasons. Keenum led Houston to a 41-16 record and is the only player in Division I history to throw for 5,000 yards in three different seasons.
It’s safe to say he knows exactly what he’s talking about when it comes to performing at the collegiate level. Keenum discussed what he thought of Fritz and the job he has done to Chris Baldwin of Papercity Houston.
“They’re so good, it’s so fun to watch. He’s a stabilizing force. Really, the definition of staying the course and really trusting Fritz and what his culture is, his vision of what UH is,” Keenum said.
UH QB great Case Keenum to @PaperCityMag on Willie Fritz, 10 win season: "It's so fun to watch. The definition of staying the course and really trusting Fritz and what his culture is. I was really proud of Conner and him battling through. He played so good. Shawn Bell.." pic.twitter.com/2OJHwsbkTQ
— Chris Baldwin (@ChrisYBaldwin) January 31, 2026
Houston won 10 games for the first time since 2021 and got a huge Texas Bowl victory over LSU in an offensive showdown 38-35. Junior quarterback Connor Weigman put on a show in that game and was named on the Davey O’Brien Great 8 list for the postseason.
Weigman, the former five-star recruit who transferred from Texas A&M, brought stability back to the quarterback position in Houston. Weigman had over 3,400 yards total from scrimmage and 29 touchdowns as a dual threat.
“I was really proud of Connor and him battling through too. He played so well that the offense (Shawn and the boys) did great. I’m excited for them,” Keenum said.
Shawn Bell was recently promoted to assistant head coach while retaining his role as quarterbacks coach. Bell was the passing game coordinator for Houston the last two seasons.
Keenum mentioned that he knows Weigman and has spent quite a bit of time with him.
“I was proud of him for battling through what he went through at Texas A&M and making the decision to come back home,” Keenum said. “I thought it was the perfect decision for him to play a lot of ball, get developed as a quarterback to have a successful future not just at UH, but on the next level as well.”
Houston is also doing a commendable job in terms of high school and transfer recruiting, earning the commitment of the nation’s No. 1 overall recruit according to On3 in quarterback Keisean Henderson. UH’s transfer portal ranking is No. 7 in the country according to On3.
It was a big step forward in 2025 that Keenum is clearly excited about, and he believes in what Fritz is building in Houston.
Maanav Gupta is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He graduated from the University of Houston in the summer of 2025 with his bachelor’s in journalism and a minor in Spanish. Gupta spent three years at the student newspaper, The Daily Cougar, and also covered the 2025 Final Four and National Championship as Houston beat writer for College Basketball Review. He also has his own YouTube channel, Maanav’s Sports Talk, where he has interviewed professional athletes and broadcasters like Jim Nantz, Jose Altuve, J.J. Watt, Rich Eisen, and Alperen Sengun. Gupta was also a contributor to the Houston athletic program as a student. You can find Gupta on X, Instagram and TikTok @MGSportsTalk.