Houston Cougars Fall Camp Standouts, Takeaways and Updates Through Day 2
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Houston Cougars football officially began their highly anticipated fall camp on early Wednesday morning, with a month to go before the season kicks off on Sept. 5 at TDECU Stadium against Oregon State.
The Cougars began at 7:45 a.m. in their indoor practice facility before transitioning out to the outdoor fields. The media was able to view the entire practice and see what the 2026 Cougars look like as activity starts to ramp up.
There were already some early takeaways and standouts from the first two days of camp, along with a few important updates.
Koby Young Shines in Wide Receiver Group
Houston has been looking for more depth in the wide receiver room behind the No. 1 target in senior Amare Thomas and the Cougars may have a great candidate to be among one of the top names. Sophomore Koby Young is poised to enter a potential breakout season for Houston.
Even as a freshman, he made plenty of big plays with his speed and great contested catch ability. Young seems to have developed a real rapport with senior quarterback Conner Weigman. He has been targeted on multiple deep throws in practice and came down with touchdowns. This could be a dynamic connection.
Offensive coordinator Slade Nagle was impressed.
"I told him this spring, he was the most improved player we had from last fall to this spring, and he's carried that over in the summer, and you've seen it in the first couple of days," Nagle said during his media availability on Thursday.
Sophomore transfer Muizz Tounkara has a left foot injury and will miss some time. Multiple receivers such as Harvey Broussard III and true freshman Jeremiah Bushnell have also gotten targets. Nagle suggested the same injury time frame for Tounkara and how he greatly progressed over the summer.
DJ Butler Getting A Good Amount of Carries
Houston's running game is also expected to improve this year as the depth has gotten better. While senior transfer running back Makhi Hughes will be the starter this season, the options behind him remain intriguing. Junior DJ Butler has been at Houston since coach Willie Fritz's first season and has been a steady force in the backfield.
Whenever Butler has entered the field, he usually makes something happen with his quickness and elusive ability. He's shown that in camp early. Both he and junior Reshaun Sanford II will be getting reps behind Hughes, and Butler has made some plays so far.
Quarterbacks Working
Weigman has looked even better and has gained strength over the offseason. His throws have gotten stronger and finally having a healthy and stable summer seems to have played a big part in that. Additionally, true freshman Keisean Henderson continues to grow and learn in his first fall camp.
Henderson will need to continue to learn the offense, but he looks to be on the right track. Having someone like Weigman in the room will only set him up for more success down the road.
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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.