Four Biggest Questions Houston Football Still Face Before Week 1
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All the relentless preparation, workouts, practices and studying over the past few months in the summer for the Houston Cougars has built up to this moment. The season opener against Oregon State on Sept. 5 at home is now just over a week away.
Houston has been one of the most stable teams in the country during this past offseason thanks to the 12 returning starters alongside specific transfer portal players that address key needs. Coach Willie Fritz, the offensive and defensive coordinators, and quarterback in senior Conner Weigman have that stability from last season.
Even with the past month of fall camp, there are still a few questions left to decide leading up to Week 1. Given how clear most of the roles are on the team, that may come as a surprise to some.
Here are the four biggest questions left for Houston.
Order of Wide Receivers
It looks like the top three have been settled, led by All-Big 12 preseason team member Amare Thomas, alongside senior transfer Trent Walker and redshirt sophomore Koby Young. That trio was with the ones.
When the Cougars go to four-receiver sets, it will be interesting to see how they approach that from a personnel standpoint. Senior Harvey Broussard III is an experienced option, while sophomore Jaquise Martin has seen a good amount of action over camp.
Additionally, sophomore transfer Muizz Tounkara will return from his injury soon after the season starts. Given how he played in the spring, it's possible that the No. 4 spot is a question until the moment that Tounkara comes back and is 100 percent.
Another Cornerback
Redshirt junior Will James and senior transfer Jalen Mayo will headline the cornerbacks group heading into 2026, and coach Marcus Trice is looking for that third option. Senior JD Rhym was a name mentioned who could help more on defense.
Two-way freshman talent Paris Melvin Jr. will at least be used in the secondary this season, but it will be intriguing to see how much playing time he gets back there.
Kicker Situation
This has been the key competition for Houston and the decision still hasn't been locked in yet. Fritz has mentioned over the past week that redshirt sophomore Jonathan Dimas is running with the first team.
"He's done a really nice job," Fritz said. "We gotta start tearing it down a little bit when we get closer to game day." Houston still has a few more practices left where kicking will be done.
Backup Offensive Line
The first team has been set basically since camp began, but the two's on the offensive line have been important to watch for, knowing how valuable reliable depth options on the line can be. Sophomore tackle Hayden Wright took a couple of snaps recently. Wright is from Kingwood, Texas, just north of Houston.
This is a relatively young second offensive line that could feature two freshmen in right guard Noah Abebe and center Aaron Wolford.
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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.