The Houston Star the Rest of the Country Is About to Discover

Houston football has a rising star that nobody is talking about enough.

Nov 1, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Willie Fritz ton the sidelines coaching against the West Virginia Mountaineers in the second half at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Houston football emerged last season as one of the best teams in the Big 12 Conference, finishing with a 10-3 overall record.

While quarterback Conner Weigman and the Cougars’ top receiver Amare Thomas get most of the attention, Houston has another star that is flying under the radar.

Oregon transfer running back Makhi Hughes will be one of Houston’s best players in 2026, and he will make a name for himself this year.

Why Makhi Hughes Is Houston’s Next Star

Nov 16, 2024; Annapolis, Maryland, USA; Tulane Green Wave running back Makhi Hughes (21) scores in front of Navy Midshipmen safety Kenneth McShan (0) during the second half at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

A major reason why Houston has been so successful is because of its aggressiveness in the transfer portal in the off-season.

Last year, the Cougars grabbed instant impact players such as Tanner Koziol, Dean Connors, Weigman and Thomas, who all played a huge role in the team’s success in 2025.

Another area head coach Willie Fritz has prioritized is bringing kids back into the program who had chosen other schools, but now have a better opportunity returning home, and this was the exact case with Hughes.

”Sometimes guys think the grass is greener someplace else, and they find out it's only green,” Fritz said.

While Hughes’ situation isn’t the exact scenario that Fritz was referencing in this quote, it did fit for his time at Oregon.

Hughes began his career at Tulane under Fritz and staff, and he quickly became one of the most dominant running backs in all of college football.

In his two seasons with the Green Wave, he totaled 523 carries for 2,779 yards and 22 touchdowns, which led the American Conference during that span.

Because of his stellar play, he received an offer to play for the Oregon Ducks, where he had a chance to compete against some of the best teams in the NCAA.

The decision to transfer didn't go as planned as he totaled just 17 carries for 70 yards in 2025.

So in the offseason, he decided to reunite with coach Fritz at the University of Houston, where he will make an immediate impact in the Big 12 Conference.

Hughes is a physical running back, and he stands at 6-foot and weighs 210 pounds.

He is in a very good place largely due to how dangerous the passing offense is, which will give the veteran running back a lot more room to run.

With opposing defenses already worried about senior quarterback Conner Weigman passing to Thomas and senior transfer Trent Walker downfield, Hughes will have more of an opportunity to have explosive runs this season.

Fans can expect Hughes to get back to a similar level of play like when we were at Tulane, and the rest of the country will know his name after he breaks out for the Cougars in 2026.