Houston Cougars Transfer Could Lead Big 12 Running Backs in Major Category

A closer look at Houston’s next potential star.

Oct 26, 2024; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Rice Owls running back Dean Connors (0) runs the ball against the Connecticut Huskies in the first quarter at Rentschler Field at Pratt & Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Houston Cougars are a team known for establishing the run game and rely on gaining a bulk of their yards on the ground.

Last season, the Cougars had 430 rushing attempts for 1,618 yards and nine touchdowns while only passing the ball 280 times.

With most FBS teams having a more even split between their rushing and passing attacks, UH consistently shows a clear game plan to run the football effectively.

Oct 26, 2024; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Huskies defensive back Cam Chadwick (13) defends against Rice Owls running back Dean Connors (0) in the second quarter at Rentschler Field at Pratt & Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Houston's Versatile Weapon: Dean Connors

The Cougars return two running backs who had major contributions in the running game last season.

Sophomore running back Re'Shaun Sanford II led Houston in rushing yards in 2024 with 444 on 94 carries.

Senior running back Stacy Sneed returns as a veteran leader under head coach Willie Fritz.

Last year, he rushed for 308 yards and a touchdown, while also being active in the passing game with 16 receptions for 99 yards.

In the offseason, Houston added to its deep running back room with another veteran in senior Rice transfer Dean Connors.

In his three seasons at Rice, Connors rushed for 1,679 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also caught 113 passes for 912 yards and six touchdowns.

"He is a versatile weapon that can be a runner," Joe Broback said via his College Football Show. "He can also get it done as a pass catcher. You can see him in the running back room or lined up out wide."

Fritz and staff saw Connors play against Houston in the annual Bayou Bucket Classic, where he caught five passes for 17 yards and also rushed for 32 yards and scored the only touchdown for Rice.

"He can do everything," Fritz said at Big 12 Media Day. "He can block, run routes, catch the ball, run inside, run on the perimeter, is smart and can play in the kicking game. He can do a lot of stuff."

Sep 2, 2023; Austin, Texas, USA; Rice Owls quarterback JT Daniels (18) hands off to running back Dean Connors (0) during the second half against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Can Connors Lead all Big 12 Running Backs in Rushing, Receiving or Total Yards?

While leading any conference in any statistic is challenging, based on his skillset, Connors has an opportunity to be near the top of the list.

Connors tallied an impressive 1,265 total yards last year at Rice with 780 rushing yards and 485 receiving yards.

Arizona State's star running back Cam Skattebo led all Big 12 running backs last season with 2,316 total yards and had a record-breaking season with the Sun Devils.

Oklahoma State's former running back Ollie Gordon II led to previous season with 2,062 total yards.

A 2,000-plus yard season would be a tall task for a single player, given that Houston has several running backs who will contribute; however, due to Connors' receiving ability, he has a real shot to lead all Big 12 running backs in receiving.

The Cougars have a new quarterback and a revamped offensive line, giving Connors everything he needs to have a breakout senior season.

A 1,000-plus rushing and 500-plus receiving season is definitely on the table for the star transfer running back with only slight statistical improvement from last season.