Breaking Down Houston Cougars' Strengths, Weaknesses, & 1 Thing That Could Beat Oklahoma State
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Oklahoma State’s Oct. 17 game with the Houston Cougars represents a turning point for the season. It is the first time that the Cowboys will play a Big 12 contender in 2026.
Oklahoma State's first two games in conference play were against West Virginia and UCF, teams that like the Cowboys are trying to build up to where Houston ended up last season.
The Cougars won 10 games under their second-year head coach Willie Fritz and the team received plenty of love from preseason prognosticators who believe the Cougars could challenge the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the BYU Cougars for a spot in the Big 12 championship game in December. So far, the Cougars are 2-1 in league play with a loss to Texas Tech that nearly went to overtime.
These are the Cougars' (5-1, 2-1 in Big 12) strengths, weaknesses and the one thing that could beat the Cowboys (4-1, 2-0 in Big 12).
Strengths
The QB-WR-TE Combo
Houston has one of the most productive quarterback-wide receiver combination in the conference this season. Quarterback Conner Weigman has thrown for 1,428 yards with 15 touchdowns and one intereception. He's also rushed for 177 yards and six scores.
His top target last season was Amare Thomas, who was an all-Big 12 selection. He's produced this year with 29 catches for 361 yards and four touchdowns. But the addition of tight end Patrick Overmyer has made the offense more dangerous. He has 33 catches for 400 yards and six touchdowns.
The Secondary
A blend of returning talent and transfers from the FCS level has made the Cougars’ secondary a formidable unit. Safety Kentrell Webb is back from a season ago and leads Houston with 38 tackles. He was third last year with 71. Jordan Allen, another safety, is the ball hawk. He's already broken up five passes and picked off two.
The Cougars hung onto their all-Big 12 cornerback in Will James, who had three interceptions and five pass break-ups a year ago and is still great in coverage. Houston added a top FCS transfer in Jalen Mayo, who picked off four passes for Stephen F. Austin in 2025 and has already intercepted one pass. This might be the best secondary OSU has faced so far.
Weaknesses
The Pass Rush
Entering the season, the Cougars lost their best pass rusher from a season ago in Eddie Walls III. He had seven sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss. Plus, Houston lost their best interior lineman, Carlos Allen Jr. He was a rarity for a defensive lineman in any scheme — a team’s leading tackler. He finished with 80 tackles, including 7.5 for a loss.
Houston has managed to put together a solid pass rush that has produced 12 sacks in six games, led by defensive back Javion White, who has 2.5 sacks. That's perhaps the big worry for the Cougars, that their corner leads the team in sacks halfway through the season.
The Kicking Game
The Cougars bludgeoned the Cowboys with field goals in last year’s win. Ethan Sanchez was 21-of-26 on field goals with a long of 52 yards last season.
Jonathan Dimas won the job and has been capable so far. He is 30-for-31 on extra points and 6-for-7 on field goals with a long of 46 yards. He's made three from outside of 40 yards. Entering the season the position was a weakness. Dimas has done a good job of turning it into a strength.
The One Thing That Could Beat Oklahoma State
Makhi Hughes
Hughes has two terrific seasons for Tulane, one of which was under Fritz. In 2023 Hughes rushed for 1,378 yards and seven scores. He followed that up with a 2024 in which he rushed for 1,401 yards and 15 touchdowns under his replacement, Jon Sumrall (now at Florida). Hughes transferred to Oregon and only played four games as he rushed for 70 yards on 17 carries. Hughes transferred to Houston to play for the coach that recruited him to Tulane and to play in an offense that should showcase his talent.
So far he's been the team's second-leading rusher with 387 yards and three touchdowns. Unlike Tulane, he's not being asked to do it all. Re'Shaun Samples has rushed for 404 yards and two touchdowns. The pair make a formidable duo and should test the Cowboys' front four in ways they haven't been tested since the West Virginia game.
Note: This story was originally published in June. It has been updated with information through Houston's first six games of the 2026 season.
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Matthew Postins is the publisher of Oklahoma State on SI. He is an award-winning sports journalist who was formerly the editor of the College Football America Yearbook and covers the Big 12 Conference for Heartland College Sports.
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