Houston Cougars head coach Willie Fritz has completely revived the program since his arrival in late 2023.
In just two seasons, Fritz has turned the Cougars into the No. 22 ranked program in the country and has led them to a 7-1 record. He rebuilt the program through the transfer portal and managed to bring in some of the top talent in the nation.
While Fritz has been successful in drawing top talent from Houston-area high schools on top of his portal prowess. Five-star quarterback commit Keisean Henderson has been dominating the local high school talent. In ESPN’s updated SportsCenter NEXT rankings, Henderson has been named the No. 4 player in the country, the best in Texas and the top player at his position.
Houston Cougars head coach Willie Fritz celebrates a play with defensive back Marc Stampley II (22) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Henderson has been treating his local high school opponents like middle school players. Multiple times this season, he has put up video game-like numbers and made mind-boggling plays.
Earlier this season, Henderson put together a monster performance that got national attention. He completed 30 of his 38 passing attempts for 537 yards and five passing touchdowns against Port Arthur Memorial High School. On top of his dominant aerial numbers, Henderson also rushed six times for 116 yards and a touchdown.
“Viewed early in high school career as a multi-positional two-way athlete, but now represents an established, bona fide elite QB prospect at this stage,”247Sports scouting analyst Gabe Brooks wrote. “Legitimately 6-foot-3, 185 pounds with lean, sinewy build, but ample space to clear the 200-pound threshold. Provides unique athleticism at the QB position, supported by strong track and field data and respectable combine testing numbers. Presents a dangerous improvisational threat in off-schedule situations.“
In the 2026 class, Henderson is the Cougars’ lone five-star commit. Aside from him, Fritz has landed pledges from four-stars Paris Melvin Jr. and Jayden Warren, as well as a plethora of three-star players. Henderson is Houston’s first five-star since class of 2016 defensive tackle Ed Oliver, and the team’s first five-star quarterback since the star evaluation system began.
With quarterback Conner Weigman having another year of remaining eligibility, Henderson will be going into a near-perfect situation. He will get to learn from Weigman while he sits under him in 2026 and will likely be the starter to start the 2027 season. With a guy like Henderson, Fritz’s offense should be extremely explosive as long as the Coogs continue to bring in impressive talent.