Several Future Houston Cougars Join Practice Ahead of Texas Bowl vs. LSU
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Over the weekend, Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle reported that several notable Houston Cougar commits would be in attendance for practices ahead of the program's bowl game matchup against LSU. The Cougars and Tigers will be facing off in the Kinder's Texas Bowl in just seven short days at NRG Stadium in Houston.
One of the more notable names among Houston's group of early enrollees is Keisean Henderson. The five-star quarterback and No. 1 recruit in the 2026 class chose the Cougars over a plethora of programs, including Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Texas, and Texas Tech.
Other early enrollees include Paris Melvin Jr. (ATH, Cypress Springs), Mudassir Abdullah (S, West Columbia), Bryson Castile (LB, Arlington Bowie), Rhett Gray (OL, Weatherford), Noah Abebe (OL, Friendswood), Jeremiah Bushnell (WR, Iowa, LA), Javen Holmes (S, Madison Prep Academy), and Keavon Roberts (WR, Port Arthur Memorial).
Prepping for the Cougars' Future
As college football has changed over the years, early enrollees have become large part of a program's future success. The sooner you can give incoming freshmen college-level coaching, the more likely it is that those underclassmen can get onto the field early in their collegiate career.
While Henderson and Melvin Jr. are expected to find playing time in their freshman campaigns, it doesn't hurt to get the entire group of early enrollees some experience with their future teammates and coaches. Getting the full group of early participants on the field during bowl-week preparation allows them to get acclimated to how head coach Willie Fritz runs his program.
For guys like Melvin Jr., who could end up finding significant playing time on both sides of the ball, the bowl-week practices mean even more. By participating in Houston's offensive and defensive schemes, the running back/wide receiver/defensive back can adjust to the speed at which college football, especially at the Power Four level, is played.
It's clear why many are excited about the four-star being a two-way player. At running back, Melvin Jr. posted over 750 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns with 8.5 yards per carry. He also caught 18 passes for 446 yards and six touchdowns. Melvin Jr. also recorded 30 tackles, 4 tackles for a loss, and 1 interception as a senior at Cypress Springs High School. Combine that versatility with Henderson, who excels in both the passing and rushing attack, and you get an extremely dangerous duo on offense.
For Henderson, the goal throughout this week is to absorb as much as possible. Every rep that the incoming freshman gets is an opportunity to get acclimated to the speed of the Cougars' offense. The more experience that he gets now, the smoother the transition will be when he finally earns a starting spot at the quarterback position.
