Big 12 team preview: Can new Houston coach work his magic in Space City?

Editor’s note: Fourth in a series previewing each team in the Big 12 in 2024.

When a college football team has its starting quarterback back, it usually gets treated favorably by the prognosticators who like to make preseason predictions.

Not so this season for the Houston Cougars, who are picked to finish 15th in the Big 12 Football Media Preseason Poll.

Having thrown for 2,801 yards and 22 touchdowns last season, quarterback Donovan Smith returns to the Space City in 2024. Trouble is, the Cougars went 4-8 last year, mercurial coach Dana Holgorsen was fired, and now the Big 12 newcomer in 2023 is forecast to only be better than Arizona State this season.

But there’s some optimism emanating from TDECU Stadium.

For starters, new coach Willie Fritz, hired away from Tulane, has been successful at every place he’s been. Houston backers are counting on the 64-year-old Fritz to lead them back to where the program was in the American Athletic Conference.

“When I took the job at Houston, I mentioned that I feel like it is a sleeping giant, and the sky is the limit, and I feel the same about the Big 12,” Fritz said at the Big 12 football media days last week. “We are at the epicenter of football in the world in Houston, Texas. I loved the fact that I didn’t have to get on a plane to go recruit.”

Truly, Houston is a football hotbed. Whether or not Fritz can keep his share of players home remains to be seen.

Keeping Smith, who completed 64.5% of his passes last year, is a good start.

“His football IQ is off the charts,” Fritz said of the son of Indianapolis Colts running backs coach DeAndre Smith.

Houston went 2-7 in the Big 12 last year, finishing in a tie for 11th with BYU and Baylor.

The Cougars will play host to league favorite Utah on Oct. 26 in a game locals are saying could be a chance for Houston to garner some national attention, perhaps spring an upset. More realistically, Houston plays at BYU on Nov. 30 in what could be a game that decides which of the Power Four newcomers in 2023 will get back to a bowl game.

Offensively, Houston has 10 lettermen returning, most notably Smith, running back Parker Jenkins and offensive lineman Tank Jenkins. Parker Jenkins ran for 464 yards and three touchdowns last year, on 99 carries.

“Parker Jenkins is a quality back who can do a little bit of everything,” Fritz said.

There’s some question marks at offensive line, as Tank Jenkins is the only returning starter from that unit. Replacing the great Patrick Paul, an offensive lineman who was taken in the second round of April’s NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins, won’t be easy.

Defensively, Houston also returns 10 lettermen. Linebacker Jamal Morris, who made 64 tackles and had five pass breakups, is one to watch, along with defensive back A.J. Haulcy. Kicker Jack Martin has proven to be reliable at that spot.

Houston opens at home against UNLV, a must-win game if it hopes to qualify for a bowl game. After that, the Cougars will play at Oklahoma, a probable top-10 team. It opens Big 12 play on Sept. 21 at Cincinnati, which will be another key contest for teams coming off subpar years and trying to find their footing in a big-time conference.

“One of the things that we’re going to do is play a lot of guys the first few weeks, kind of figure out the rotation, how many guys — which guys should be playing 50, 60 snaps, which guys should be playing 10, 20,” Fritz said. “And that will be decided after a couple weeks because I haven’t done a lot of live action with these guys.”

Another of Fritz’s priorities is to establish a better rushing attack — something that was lacking in 2023. The Cougars rushed for just 118.7 yards per game last year, which was among the worst in the nation. They only had 10 rushing touchdowns.

They were also bad on defense, ranking 100th or worse in the nation in every significant defensive category.

In other words, new defensive coordinator Shiel Wood has his work cut out for him as he moves to a 3-4 scheme. Hopes are high for new cornerback Latrell McCutchin, a USC transfer who sat out last year, to shore up a leaky Houston pass defense.

2023 record

• 4-8 (2-7 Big 12)

Utah ties

• Defensive back Ajani Carter, former Utah State DB (2019-22)

2024 schedule

• Aug. 31 — UNLV
• Sept. 7 — at Oklahoma
• Sept. 14 — Rice
• Sept. 21 — at Cincinnati
• Sept. 28 — Iowa State
• Oct. 4 — at TCU
• Oct. 19 — at Kansas (Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City)
• Oct. 26 — Utah
• Nov. 2 — Kansas State
• Nov. 15 — at Arizona
• Nov. 23 — Baylor
• Nov. 30 — at BYU