CFB Top 50, #49: 2025 Houston Cougars

by
Bracket Yard
July 5, 2025

At number 49 in the CFB Top 50 countdown for this year are the 2025 Houston Cougars, seeking a bounce-back season.

Willie Fritz and company started from scratch in 2024, rebuilding a roster that had the second-fewest points scored last season. 14 points per game is, in a word, pathetic. However, not all hope is lost for the 2025 campaign, as some believe the Cougars could be about to make a noticeable improvement. Sure, there was a high degree of turnover due to the transfer portal, but that’s not to say there isn’t talent coming in, like from Texas A&M.

Connor Weigman is taking over at quarterback, hoping to improve upon the lackluster offensive performances of his predecessors, Donovan Smith and Zeon Chriss.

2025 Houston Cougars Basic Facts

Head Coach: Willie Fritz (2nd season)

2025 Conference: Big 12

2024 Record: 4-8 (3-6)

Final Resolution of Last Season: Did not qualify for bowl

Houston Key Additions and Subtractions

IN – Conner Weigman, quarterback. Transferred from Texas A&M.

IN – Travis Buhake, defensive line. Four-star recruit out of Texas.

OUT – AJ Haulcy, safety. Transferred to LSU.

Best Game on the Schedule in 2025

October 25 at Arizona State. The Sun Devils are the defending conference champions, and if you want to be the best, you need to beat the best. Sure, we could have gone with an in-state rival for this, but the Arizona State outcome is going to say a lot about where the Cougars are in 2025.

2025 Houston Cougars: Outlook

Houston looks like they will make a sizable leap forward in Willie Fritz’s second year. Mind you, they still have a lot of work to do before they are in contention for anything, but the signs are there that they are going to improve upon last season. It’s hard to see how the offense could be much worse.

Assuming Conner Weigman can do his thing at quarterback (and ideally not get injured again), more points will find their way on the scoreboard, and if Houston is lucky, a few of those losses last season can turn into wins. Again, it’s hard to see how they could score fewer points than last year. Houston getting to a bowl game this year is possible, but if they do, that probably means they won six games; seven if they are fortunate. Houston will probably start 2-0 and then we will see from there.

Willie Fritz won at Sam Houston State, Tulane, and Georgia Southern. Houston and the Big 12 are a step in class above all three, but there’s still plenty of good will for him entering his second year. More than anything else, putting Houston at number 49 is a bet on Fritz that he can start the action of turning the Cougars around this season.