2026 Houston Football Preview
Jake Wimberly
Abby Boyd Contributing-
What’s to like:
Willie Fritz brings a proven track record to Houston and has helped give the program a more consistent direction. His experience building competitive teams should continue to benefit the Cougars as they work to become more established in the Big 12. Houston also has a receiving corps that gives the offense some reliable options in the passing game. Having multiple players who can make plays through the air should help the offense create more consistency.
Houston's roster also has enough experience to compete with teams throughout the conference. The Cougars may not have the same overall talent as some of the Big 12's top programs, but they have developed enough pieces to make games competitive. If the offense can consistently get the ball to its receivers, Houston should have opportunities to win games.
What’s not to like:
The biggest concern is the run defense. Houston needs to do a better job limiting opposing rushing attacks, especially against teams that want to control the clock and keep the Cougars' offense off the field. Giving up too many yards on the ground can make it difficult for the defense to get off the field.
Overall roster depth is another concern. Houston has enough talent to compete with many teams in the Big 12, but injuries could become a problem if experienced replacements aren't available. Staying healthy will be important over the course of the season.
What does the Hourglass say?
Houston- Big 12 (4-8)
Power ranking 29.5.
2026 Houston Analytics
National recruiting rating (three year metric): #58- outside the boundary of a National Championship Roster.
National Coaching Ranking:
Willie Fritz- 58tht in Power 5 and 14th in the Big 12.
2026 coaching value= 9.4 (average 2026 Power 5 coaching value=21.93) Willie Fritz is ranked lower of the pack for coaches in the Power 5.
Quarterback Play: Conner Weigman- ranked 23rd in the Power 4, 5th in the Big 12; 2026 QB value= 38.2 (Power 4 average- 26.43).
Impact Ball Catcher Metric: Houston has an Impact Ball Catcher Metric of . This puts the Cougars at the lower tier for the Big 12 in this metric.
Final Thoughts:
Houston has a proven coach in Willie Fritz and a receiving corps that gives the offense some reliable options. The Cougars still need to improve their run defense and develop more depth throughout the roster. Houston may not have the same talent level as the conference's top teams, but it has enough pieces to compete if it can become more consistent.
2026 Schedule analysis:
Projected Hourglass W/L record: Games in red denote games that could be a one possession game or even a different outcome than projection.
9/5/26 Oregon State- Win
9/12/26 Southern University- Win
9/18/26 At Texas Tech- Loss
9/26/26 At Georgia Southern- Win
10/3/26 UCF- Loss
10/10/26 At Kansas State- Loss
10/17/26 Oklahoma State- Loss
10/24/26 At Utah- Loss
11/7/26 Cincinnati- Win
11/13/26 At Colorado- Loss
11/21/26 At West Virginia- Loss
11/28/26 Baylor- Loss
