One Houston Player Who Could Become a National Name
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Houston has already made headlines with players like Conner Weigman and Amare Thomas.
Houston's recruiting strategy seeks out the best and only seems to grow players' skills and status after becoming a Cougar. With a growing number of recruits and transfers the bar is raised higher each year, but who has it in them to be the next nationally recognized Cougar?
Running back Dean Connors was the starting running back for Houston all 13 games last season and ran for 977 rushing yards, ranked fifth in the Big 12. He led the Cougars in rushing yards and is easily accredited with pushing Houston through to its 10-3 record in 2025. Now that his eligibility is up, his departure has left a hole in the backfield.
His absence doesn't make or break the team but it leaves Houston vulnerable. Luckily, the Cougars have already mended the wound with incoming transfer running back Makhi Hughes.
Hughes's Storied Past
Hughes got his start at Tulane playing all 14 games for each of the two seasons he was there, putting up 2,779 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns. Hughes held his in receiving as well, with 30 receptions and 243 receiving yards.
Hughes also played under Fritz before the coach's last season in 2023. His experience with Fritz may have been one of his motives for coming to Houston
Hughes only played four games during his time at Oregon before deciding to redshirt the rest of the season. In that short time he rushed for 70 yards off 17 carries.
What Makes Hughes Great?
Although Coach Fritz has expressed prioritizing high school recruits he's spoken his mind about the transfer portal before, something he touched on during 2026 Big 12 Media Days.
"You wanna find guys that are going to fit your program," he said.
Fritz knows what to look for in every potential player and definitely saw something in Hughes.
His call to redshirt himself will definitely help his Houston career after seeming to struggle at Oregon. If he's able to match or surpass his accolades at Tulane Hughes is sure to be nation wide news.
Under Fritz in 2023, Hughes was the American Conference champion and Freshman All-American. He was also ranked 10th nationally in 2024 for rushing with 1,401 rushing yards.
If Hughes can just match his stats from his time at Tulane, he'll surpass the praised legacy of Connors and could carry the Cougars through the season while gaining national acclaim in the process.
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Wyatt Chastain is currently a junior at the University of Houston majoring in Sports Media Production. He also has hosted his own football recap show with CoogTV and is currently a sports writer and photographer for The Cougar. His photography work is available on Instagram at (@madebyw).
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