Houston Returns to the Preseason Coaches Poll After a Four-Year Absence
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The 2026 Houston Cougars football season has been highly anticipated, and the expectations are high to continue winning ways.
With the season just over a month away as the Cougars kick off on Sept. 5 against Oregon State, the annual preseason US LBM Coaches Poll was just released.
Houston made it onto the preseason Coaches Poll for the first time since the 2022 season. The Cougars were ranked No. 24 in the poll. It's been a long four years, but coach Willie Fritz has led a successful turnaround of the program.
Houston is expected to be a real player in the Big 12 this year, and it's now clear that the coaches also expect that with this top 25 preseason ranking. The Cougars are just ahead of Missouri, who are No. 25. Clemson is one spot ahead of Houston at No. 23.
The Cougars were ranked No. 25 back in the 2022 preseason Coaches Poll, but dropped out immediately in the Week 2 rankings. Houston hopes that the stay in the top 25 of the coaches poll will be longer this time.
More on Houston's Preseason Ranking
Houston was also named in the final Coaches Poll from last season at No. 19.
UH finished 2025 with a 10-3 record, and that included a Texas Bowl victory over LSU. This was the first bowl win since 2022 and the first season with at least 10 wins since 2021.
The Cougars appeared in the regular-season Coaches Poll last season for the first time since 2022 with a No. 22 ranking in the Week 10 poll.
Houston dropped out the very next week, but returned in Week 13 at No. 24 and Week 16 at No. 24 as well.
Houston is joined by three other Big 12 teams in this year's preseason poll. Defending Big 12 champion Texas Tech is in the highest position at No. 12, while BYU comes in at No. 15. Utah is just ahead of Houston at No. 21. These four teams are projected to be at the top of the Big 12 standings as well.
With a bunch of returning star players such as senior quarterback Conner Weigman and senior wide receiver Amare Thomas, Houston is set up to be a Big 12 contender that has the potential to get to the conference title game.
The Cougars added some key talent through the transfer portal, such as senior running back Makhi Hughes from Oregon and senior guard Shadre Hurst from Tulane.
On the defensive side, defensive lineman Ashton Porter also transferred from Oregon while the secondary, led by cornerback Will James, remains mostly intact.
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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.