Senior quarterback Conner Weigman was asked how he wants to be remembered at Houston.
“I’m going to give it all I’ve got, and I’m going to leave it out on the field each and every day,” he said. “That’s how I want to be remembered at UH.”
If some prognosticators are correct, Weigman might be remembered for more than effort and intangibles.
The No. 23 Cougars, a dark-horse pick to reach the College Football Playoff, will start their season on Saturday afternoon against visiting Oregon State.
Coming off a 10-3 season that included a Texas Bowl win over LSU, Houston appears to have gotten deeper and better in key spots. Third-year coach Willie Fritz gave Weigman, who threw for 2,705 yards and 25 touchdowns last year, more tools in the passing game.
One of the big additions was taking Oregon State’s leading receiver from last year, Trent Walker, in the transfer portal.
Walker caught 68 passes for 823 yards for the Beavers and should pair nicely with Amare Thomas (67, 966, 12 TDs). Add Koby Young, Jaquise Martin and fifth-year senior Stephon Johnson, and Weigman should have a bevy of capable targets.
Fritz also brought in three potential starters for the offensive line, including left guard Shadre Hurst, who helped Tulane earn a CFP bid last year. All-Mid-American Conference center Anthony Boswell came in from Toledo, and Drew Terrill was a second-team All-MAC pick last year at Miami (Ohio).
Not to be ignored, the defense boasts an experienced, skilled secondary. Holdover cornerback Will James, a preseason All-Big 12 pick, has been joined by Jalen Mayo (Stephen F. Austin) at the other corner. Tulane transfer Javion White is someone to watch at safety.
While Houston is loading up for a big season, the Beavers hope to make the most of a new start. After a disastrous 2025 campaign that saw them go 2-10 and fire coach Trent Bray, Oregon State has turned to JaMarcus Shephard to lead the way in the reconstituted Pac-12 Conference.
Shephard, who served as Alabama’s co-offensive coordinator the last two years, has specific goals for his first game as a head coach.
“Our team needs to be able to show that they are capable of handling different things throughout the game, while also making sure that we maintain our ability to be great in the intangible things,” he said.
Sophomore Braden Atkinson, who threw for 3,596 yards and 34 touchdowns last year at Mercer, has won the starting quarterback job for the Beavers. He earned the Jerry Rice Award, given to the top freshman in FCS, last season.
Houston owns a 3-1 lead in the teams’ all-time series, including a 27-24 victory last year in Corvallis, Ore.
After Saturday’s game, the Cougars will have a home contest vs. Southern on Sept. 12, while Oregon State will host No. 12 Texas Tech.
