2024 LegAAC Previews: Houston Cougars take on year two in Big 12

Year two begins.

The Houston Cougars, now established in the Big 12, are embarking on the 2024 season with a fresh start as one of the two Big 12 teams, along with Arizona, to have a new head coach at the helm. In December, Houston welcomed Willie Fritz from Tulane as the successor to Dana Holgorsen, who led the team for five seasons, including their first Big 12 campaign.

Amid heightened anticipation surrounding the team due to the coaching transition, Fritz and his players made an appearance at the 2024 Big 12 Media Days in Las Vegas to provide a glimpse of what to expect in Houston’s second year in the Big 12.

The Fritz era begins in Houston

Willie Fritz’s initial media day occurred in the Navarro Community College cafeteria in Corsicana, TX, with four members of the media present. This starkly contrasts with the Big 12 Media Days at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, which saw over 500 media members in attendance.

This contrast illustrates that Fritz’s entire coaching career has been a steady progression, and he attained another milestone last December.

“I aimed to coach at the highest level of college football,” Fritz stated. “That’s why I took this job.”

After eight years, Fritz changed universities, departing from the successful Tulane program he built to lead Houston during its transition to the Big 12. Although leaving New Orleans was tough, the Cougars’ entry into the new conference, combined with Fritz’s connections to Texas from his previous coaching stints at Sam Houston, Blinn College, and Willis High School, played a role in his decision.

“It was a difficult decision,” Fritz admitted. “Every time I’ve made a move, it’s been very challenging because I’ve established roots in that city and university. (Houston) just had everything in place in terms of location, my experience in the state of Texas, and the fact that I believe Houston is an emerging city and university.”

While many teams brought in first-year transfers to the media days in Las Vegas, Houston, one of the two Big 12 schools with a new head coach this season, brought four existing players who remained Cougars despite a coaching change in December. These players, quarterback Donovan Smith, guard Tank Jenkins, inside linebacker Jamal Morris, and cornerback Latrell McCutchin, were originally recruited to Houston under Holgorsen. After evaluating Fritz upon his arrival, they decided to reaffirm their commitment to another era of Houston football.

“It was something I considered,” Jenkins said when discussing his thought process regarding the transfer portal after the coaching change. “But I had built a relationship with Coach Fritz because I already had a relationship with (offensive line coach Eman) Naghavi, who had been there last year. But when Coach Fritz arrived, we had many conversations. He’s so involved with the whole team that everybody loves Coach Fritz. He came in and brought a sense of family and fatherhood.”

Each coach has their own approach to running a program, so the returning players from the Holgorsen era are adapting to Fritz’s coaching style. However, given Fritz’s successful track record, including turning Tulane from an underperforming team into a New Year’s Six contender with an AP top 10 finish, the incumbent roster members are putting their trust in Fritz’s process, considering its past success at previous stops.

“I tell the guys to be open-minded to change,” Morris said. “Having a new coach is a transition that we have to go through, so just taking it one day at a time. We’re not where we want to be right now because we’re a new team. We don’t know where we’re going to be, but we have the blueprint of how we’re going to get there.”

Making a big leap in the Big 12

During the fall of 2021, as the Big 12 sought expansion candidates following Oklahoma and Texas’ announcement of their commitment to the SEC, Houston was a top contender for good reason. The Cougars had a successful track record in the American Athletic Conference, achieving one AP top 10 finish, two AP top 20 finishes, four bowl victories, and nine winning seasons during their 10-year tenure in the league.

However, their transition to the Big 12 did not immediately yield on-field success. Houston finished with a 4-8 record, matching its lowest win percentage since 2005. Consequently, the Cougars were ranked 15th in the preseason media poll, only surpassing Arizona State in the 16-team league.

“In a way, it does motivate us, but let’s face it, these preseason rankings don’t really matter,” McCutchin remarked. “No one has seen this team. We have 47 new players. How can you predict our performance when you haven’t even seen 47 of our players in action? Ultimately, we won’t know anything until the season unfolds. I believe we’re going to surprise a lot of people.”

It was understood that there would be a period of adjustment for the Cougars as they worked to catch up with the rest of the Big 12 in terms of media revenue, facilities, and recruiting, with the latter two areas undergoing significant improvements. However, on game days, the focus is solely on the 22 players on the field at any given time. Houston needs to find a way to secure victories in the Big 12 and establish themselves as a winning program while making progress in other areas.

“I think (being a first-year Big 12 program) was part of it, and part of it was they also lost some good players from the year before,” Fritz commented on Houston’s 4-8 season in 2023. “You’re definitely playing a much tougher schedule than what you played before. Those are games that you maybe played two or three of those games formerly, and now you’re playing them every week.”

Last season, Houston finished with a 2-7 record in the Big 12, and both victories were hard-fought. The Cougars relied on a 49-yard Hail Mary to defeat West Virginia and an overtime 2-point conversion to overcome Baylor. Failing to execute either play would have resulted in devastating losses. Under Fritz, Houston needs to not only establish a consistent presence in the win column but also learn how to create more distance so that the outcome of games doesn’t come down to a single play.

“Playing much better competition week after week after week after week, but it all evens itself out after you’ve been in the league for a period of time,” Fritz said. “That’s the challenge, getting your guys to play their best every single week to have a chance to win.”

Morris, who initially played at Oklahoma, had an idea of what to expect from Houston’s debut season in the Big 12. However, he believes that Houston is better prepared to compete this year due to increased familiarity with the league and the presence of a new coaching staff.

“It was kind of disappointing because we knew we had the talent, just like we do this year,” Morris said. “The tree is only as strong as the foundation. If the foundation’s not strong, the tree won’t grow well. Now that we have Coach Fritz and his staff with all the talent that we have, we really feel like we’re going to excel.”

Offensive MO shift

“The NFL is known as a league that often emulates successful strategies,” is a common saying often heard from commentators on any given Sunday. This sentiment also holds true for the Big 12. The conference has shifted from being heavily focused on air raid, high-scoring offenses to seeing a balance where defenses have caught up with offenses, and a more physical and aggressive style of football has become increasingly popular with each passing year.

Throughout much of its history, Houston has employed air raid principles, as evidenced by the notable quarterbacks such as Case Keenum, Andre Ware, David Klingler, Kevin Kolb, and Clayton Tune who achieved record-breaking performances while wearing the red and white. During the Holgorsen era, Houston heavily relied on its passing game, consistently ranking in the bottom 20 in rushing attempts over the past two seasons. On the other hand, Fritz’s offenses typically exhibit a strong emphasis on running the ball.

Tulane showcased a standout rusher in the FBS in 2022 with Tyjae Spears and another in 2023 with Makhi Hughes, both averaging over 16 carries per game during these impressive seasons. In contrast, Houston saw only one instance of a running back carrying the ball more than 13 times in a game in 2023. Though the personnel at quarterback and running back remains largely unchanged for the Cougars in 2024, Fritz’s arrival is expected to reduce the team’s heavy reliance on the passing game.

“We aim to achieve a balanced offense,” stated Fritz. “That’s our primary goal. We’re going to utilize both aspects. While in some games we may lean more heavily towards passing or running, over the course of the season, I’d like us to be a 50-50 team.”

The shift in offensive strategy has perhaps excited no group of players more than the offensive line. Most linemen prefer run blocking over pass blocking, and guard Tank Jenkins stands out as one of Houston’s most enthusiastic supporters in the effort to emphasize the running game.

“I’m all for it,” Jenkins expressed. “Whatever Coach Fritz wants, we’ll do. If he wants us to run the ball all day, that’s what we’ll do. I love it. Donovan (Smith) might get a little upset because he just wants to throw, but it’s alright because he can run too.”

While Houston boasts a wealth of experienced players at quarterback, running back, and wide receiver, one crucial position group lacks significant starting experience. Jenkins is the only returning starter on the offensive line, and the unit needs to regroup after the departure of players like second round NFL Draft pick Patrick Paul. Jenkins points out that the backup players, including Demetrius Hunter (center), Shamar Hobdy-Lee (right tackle), and Peyton Dunn (left guard), have all made substantial progress in speed, technique, and hand placement during the offseason. If Houston aims for success in the Big 12, it begins with having depth in the trenches.

“We have to focus on the offensive line, as that’s going to be a key position for us,” Fritz emphasized. “I have one returning starter in Tank Jenkins, but there are about seven or eight guys competing for the other four spots on the offensive line.”

A homebuilt program

The city of Houston is home to 2.3 million residents, making it the fourth largest city in the United States. For the University of Houston, this represents 2.3 million opportunities to cultivate fans, garner more support for the program, and forge something extraordinary within the Big 12.

Having held various positions in the state of Texas, Fritz recognizes that embracing the city is crucial to the success of Houston. Therefore, making the Cougars highly visible in Houston during the offseason was a top priority for Fritz. He made constant appearances at numerous events, even participating in the calf scramble at the rodeo in March, ensuring that the Cougars remained a prevalent topic of conversation in the city.

“In the first year when you arrive at a new place, you need to make yourself as visible as possible to build your program and connect with as many people as you can,” Fritz explained. “I think I visited the rodeo five times. In that first year, it’s essential to establish yourself within the city.”

Part of integrating with the city involves developing a locally focused program. Fritz’s approach to team building underscores the abundant high school football talent in Houston, and his objective is to minimize air travel when recruiting.

“I believe it’s important to recruit players within a drivable distance,” Fritz stated. “I think it makes the players happier. I haven’t conducted any research on it, but it’s like what happened to us in the past couple of days. We had players who stayed at home. They didn’t have to cancel flights due to Hurricane Beryl. The vast majority of our players are within driving distance of the campus.”

Some of the most talented recruits from the Houston area initially choose not to join the Cougars during the recruitment process. However, with the relaxed transfer rules and the ease of changing schools every offseason, Houston has become one of the primary beneficiaries of the transfer portal, as players frequently opt to move closer to home. All four Cougar representatives in Las Vegas were acquired through the portal, and inside linebacker Jamal Morris was one of them. He highlighted the opportunity to play in his hometown as a key factor, having started his college career at Oklahoma.

“Being in Houston is great because I’ve lived here for more than half of my life, so I have a different perspective,” Morris explained. “Once I got to the University of Houston, that’s when I started appreciating downtown and experiencing the diverse cultural aspects, and that’s when I fell in love with it again. Everything you need is right here in Houston.”

Even for those who are not from the area, the city still holds an irresistible allure, making Houston a formidable force in attracting transfer portal talent.

“There’s a culture for everyone in Houston, and I don’t think you can say that about every team in the country,” said cornerback Latrell McCutchin, who hails from Austin and previously attended Oklahoma and USC. “There are many big-name schools where a lot of people don’t feel like they belong. It’s different when you have these ingrained cultures in the community and all around the campus, because you can’t replicate that if it’s not already there.”