Tanner Koziol and Willie Fritz Developed Something Truly Special Together In Houston
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Houston Cougars senior tight end Tanner Koziol remembers when he was initially getting recruited by UH head coach Willie Fritz.
“He said we're turning this thing around this year. He said, ‘ I don't give a damn what everybody says; we don't have to listen to anybody. We're doing it this year, and he did it,’” Koziol said.
The Cougars were 4-8 in Fritz’s first year and were expected to make a jump forward in 2025. Most did not think it would be this much. Houston went 10-3 and won the Kinder’s Texas Bowl 38-35 over LSU for their first bowl win since 2022. This past season marked UH’s first 10-win season in four years and its first 10-win season in a Power Four conference since 1990.
“He's a man of his word. I'll die for Coach Fritz,” Koziol said.
Fritz has been a mastermind in turning programs around his whole career, and Houston has been no different. There were a lot of reasons why the Cougars had the biggest turnaround in the FBS this year. One of those reasons was Koziol.
Mutual Praise
“I think he's a high draft pick, I really do. Great tight end. Great player. He's only going to get better as his career progresses,” Fritz said.
Houston’s head coach believes that Koziol will at least be a second-day draft pick. He was arguably the most important pickup in the transfer portal besides junior quarterback Connor Weigman.
“With the portal, it's hard to create a family, and Coach Fritz knows how to do it. And we did it. It was so much fun,” Koziol said.
Koziol became the go-to target and security blanket for Weigman in almost all situations. Not to mention him being a complete tight end with his blocking. Koziol was a late transfer to Houston after originally committing to Wisconsin out of the portal. Fritz’s visit clearly made all the difference, as Koziol mentioned it in the press conference following the Texas Bowl.
Koziol specifically mentioned how Fritz tells the truth straight up about what the program needs and expects from you.
Fritz Completed His Story
The 6-foot-7, 240-lb tight end has all the physical tools to be successful, and demonstrated that with Houston throughout the year. Koziol racked up 727 yards and six touchdowns on a team-high 74 receptions.
Originally a two-star recruit out of high school, he spent three seasons at Ball State, breaking all their tight end records. Koziol put up 839 receiving yards on 94 catches along with eight touchdowns last season. He was then selected to the Biletnikoff and Mackey Award Preseason Watchlist. It has been a remarkable story to the top.
“I’ve had some great tight ends and Delaney Walker was a great tight end for me. And Tanner, boy, he's something else. I say this all the time. He's really unique,” Fritz said. “He's got a great catch radius, reach, length, he sticks his hands away from his body, and he utilizes it. He does it time after time. And he's getting better and better at blocking.”
That is high praise coming from his head coach. The respect continued to flow both ways in the Texas Bowl presser. Koziol loves playing for Fritz and completely bought into what Houston is.
“Coach Fritz showed me what it looks like to run a program and build it and how you have to treat kids,” Koziol said. “ There's no reason you don't want to come here, and if you don't want to play for Coach Fritz, I don't know what's wrong with you.”
While still in the early stages of building Houston, Fritz has gotten many compliments on the job he’s done so far. It makes sense given the kind of talent that is coming in next season with the best recruiting class in program history. Players appreciate his honesty.
“He just harps on the right things. And he's so real. He's the realest coach ever. It's rare in college football. And he's awesome for it,” Koziol said.
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.