Houston Cougars Stock Watch After Week 14: Who's Trending Up?
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The Houston Cougars have been completely turned around in just two years under Willie Fritz. From a four-win season a year ago to now finishing the 2025 regular season with a 9-3 record and having a year full of accomplishments, the team is now bowl eligible and making its way back to the national rankings after a few years without either.
The Coogs capped off the regular season with one last win, traveling on the road up to Waco and defeating the Baylor Bears in McLane Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Cougars got out to a quick start and were able to hang onto the lead despite a second-half fight from the Bears.
Houston ends the season on a very strong note, finishing fourth in the Big 12 after being one of the bottom teams in the standings a year ago. After the Coogs' complete performance against the Bears on the road, here's this week's look at some players' stocks, and with this edition of stock watch, there won't be any players trending down.
Trending Up
Conner Weigman, QB
Conner Weigman's first season as the Cougars' starting quarterback has been up and down, stringing together a few great performances while finding a few rough patches along the way, and it was a rough patch last week, when the Coogs couldn't find a rhythm on offense.
Against Baylor, however, Weigman was able to find a way to make a difference and run the offense effectively, finishing the game by completing 21 of his 31 pass attempts for 201 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.
Where Weigman was at his best on Saturday was in the running game, as he's been just about all season. The quarterback recorded 121 yards on 22 carries and two touchdowns on the ground.
Amare Thomas, WR
Wide receiver Amare Thomas became Weigman's top target midway through the season, and the two really never looked back. Despite the low production in last week's loss to TCU, this week Thomas proved that the outing was an outlier.
He finished Saturday's ball game as the Coogs' leading receiver with nine catches for 97 yards and a touchdown.
The Defense
The Coogs' defense was all over the field on Saturday, making big-time plays throughout the game, disrupting a very explosive Baylor offense, especially through the air. Although Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson did manage to pass for over 300 yards against the Cougars, it was not an easy outing for him and the Baylor offense.
On the first two drives for the Coogs on defense, they forced turnovers with an interception from Marc Stampley II in the end zone and then a sack-fumble by Brandon Mack, which was recovered by Sione Fotu. And on the next three ensuing drives in the first half, the Coogs' defense stalled each drive by the Bears, forcing them to settle for field goals, two of which were inside the 20-yard line.
In the second half, while Baylor was able to find a rhythm and make the game close towards the end, the Cougars' defense made another stand like it had all game, forcing a turnover on downs on Baylor's final possession of the game, to leave Waco with the win.
