Is the 2026 Houston Football Recruiting Class the Best in Program History?
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Houston’s class of 2016, highlighted by star defensive tackle Ed Oliver, is regarded as the best recruiting class in program history.
However, head coach Willie Fritz might be setting a new standard.
The 2026 class currently ranks as a top 40 class in the nation and includes one five-star, three four-stars and 14 three-stars.
The 2026 class is gaining national attention, checking in at No. 39 in the rankings with plenty of time to add to the already talented group.
Three of the top 10 highest recruits in Houston football history are featured in this class: Keisean Henderson, Paris Melvin Jr., and Jayden Warren.
Henderson is a five-star quarterback from Spring, Texas, and is now the highest-rated recruit in program history since Oliver.
He checks in as the No.1 player in the state and ranked No. 2 nationally behind Tennessee’s quarterback commit Faizon Brandon.
Henderson is a dual-threat quarterback who tallied over 5,000 passing yards and 79 touchdowns throughout his high school career.
Warren is a four-star wide receiver from Iowa Colony, Texas, and is the fifth-highest recruit ever for the Cougars.
Warren is a good-sized wide receiver standing at 6-foot-2 and finished his junior campaign with 26 catches for 613 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Melvin Jr. is a four-star recruit who plays both sides of the ball and is ranked as the ninth-best recruit in program history.
Melvin Jr. played running back, quarterback, wide receiver, and cornerback for his high school team, displaying his talent as a true utility player.
“In his junior year, he rushed for over 1,000 yards and 18 touchdowns, completed three of five passes for 52 yards and a touchdown, added 22 catches for 352 yards and three touchdowns totaling 16 yards per catch and on the defensive side totaled 13 tackles and one tackle for loss and one interception,” recruiting analyst Mallory Hartley said on Dave Campbell’s Texas Football podcast.
Eight of 16 recruits, all from the Houston area, embody the phrase UH has posted on their social media: “The best from Houston play for Houston.”
”The last two classes that Fritz has built at Houston ranked No. 41 last year, and now are No. 39 this year,” Director of Recruiting for Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Greg Powers said. “That is about 20 spots over their historical average finish.”
Players to Watch
Running back John Hebert is a three-star recruit from Strake Jesuit High School in Houston, Texas. The Cougars recently got the hometown recruit to flip from his previous commitment to Washington State earlier this summer.
”I have this sneaky suspicion that he will be not only one of the more overlooked players in the class, but the entire nation,” Powers said. “The things he is doing, game by game, are uniquely rare.”
Hebert racked up 3,532 rushing yards as a junior, which is the seventh most in Texas high school football history. He also had 38 rushing touchdowns and caught nine passes for 123 yards and two receiving touchdowns.
Rhett Gray is another guy to look out for. The 6-foot-7, 290-pound offensive tackle is a force on the interior, and the Cougars managed to flip his commitment from TCU.
”He is a mammoth offensive lineman who has experience playing tackle, but I think he can easily slip inside and play guard,” Powers said.
Aaron Wolford is a 6-foot-4, 290-pound offensive lineman and three-star recruit from Port Neches-Grove High School.
”Port Neches Grove is known for producing top-tier offensive linemen in the state of Texas to be successful at the next level, and I don’t think Wolford is any different,” Hartley said.
Xavier Fleming is a six-foot, 300-pound defensive lineman who recorded 42 tackles, eight tackles for loss, one sack and one interception in his junior season.
”Every game Lewisville plays, Flemming is a difference maker,” Powers said. “He is a guy who has done well at camps, but is overlooked by many recruiting services.”
With the previous two recruiting classes, Fritz has transformed the program into one that prioritizes hometown recruits and remains highly competitive in the recruiting rankings.
Houston is now a landing spot many recruits are considering, with all the work that Fritz and staff have done over the past two years.
“I have covered the team from 2007 till now, and this is the best Houston Cougars class of all time.”Greg Powers
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).