Key Defensive Player 'Has Quit' The Houston Football Team
In this story:
Houston football is coming off a dominant 39-17 victory over the Oklahoma State Cowboys in a game where the Cougars shone on both sides of the ball.
The Cougars, unfortunately, do not have only positive news from the win, as head coach Willie Fritz announced in his weekly press conference on Monday that they would be without senior linebacker Jesus Machado, and his time in Houston is over.
”He has quit, he is not on the team anymore,” Fritz said.
Jesus Machado Background
Machado began his career at Tulane and played four years with the Green Wave. He got his first real playing time in the 2022 season and solidified himself as a starter.
The Miami, Fla. native tallied 40 tackles in his first season as a consistent starter in Fritz’s system and had his best year the following season.
In 2023, he totaled 98 tackles and was among the best defensive players in the American Athletic Conference.
He led the team in total tackles and also added three tackles for loss and was a staple of the defensive unit.
Unfortunately, Machado tore his ACL in the Military Bowl and remained out the entire next season as he recovered from that injury.
Machado made a big decision by following Fritz to Houston for his final year of eligibility and was a great addition to the roster.
This season has been underwhelming for the former star linebacker, as he has only recorded five total tackles and appeared in just two games this season.
With the loss of Machado, Houston has several other players that will need to step up in his absence.
Houston’s Linebackers
Senior linebacker Jalen Garner is the leader of Houston’s linebacker room and already has 42 tackles on the season, including two sacks and two forced fumbles.
Junior linebacker Sione Fotu is another starter who has been great this year. At the midway point of the season, he has recorded 30 tackles and a fumble recovery and is one of the leaders of the defense.
Junior linebacker Latreveon McCutchin is a guy Fritz really leans on in the defense and will continue to see an increased role.
This season, he has 20 tackles and forced a fumble, and recorded a sack. He also got his first career interception over the weekend against Oklahoma State.
Other guys that could see an increased role with Machado’s absence are Brandon Mack II, Carmycah Glass, and Christian Brathwaite.
Overall, the loss of Machado does hurt, but the Cougars have plenty of talent on defense to pick up the slack.
Ashton Grissom is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He is currently a senior at the University of Houston and majoring in Sports Media Production with a minor in Marketing and Spanish. He also works for two student organizations: The Cougar and CoogTV. You can find Grissom on his Instagram (@ashtonagrissom8) or Twitter (@ashtongrissom8).