Major Applewhite enters his first season as a head coach, leading Houston Football after Tom Herman left. What will the two-deep look like for the Cougars?
Through the first month of the 2016 season, Houston looked ready to break through the ceiling placed on Group of Five teams. Rather than just being the favorite for the automatic bid to a New Year’s Six bowl game, the Cougars seemed on the verge of breaking into the College Football Playoff.
Then Navy beat the Cougars to begin October. Houston would also lose to SMU and Memphis (but beat Louisville and Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson) before the end of the regular season. Instead of a chance at the national title, the Cougars were relegated to the Las Vegas Bowl.
Now Tom Herman is the head coach of the Texas Longhorns, having left Houston before its bowl game. Major Applewhite was the interim coach in Vegas, and he now takes over as Cougars full-time coach. The neophyte head coach will have to shore up some major losses at key positions as Houston tries once again to make noise in the American Athletic Conference and on a national level.
The defense is in better shape than the offense, at least in terms of returning talent. Houston, though, has also recruited well in recent years. Who will earn significant playing time for the Cougars this season? What will Houston’s two-deep look like at every position in 2017?
Defensive Line
Starting tackle: Ed Oliver
Backups: Aymiel Fleming
The defensive line centers on Ed Oliver. The Houston native earned All-American honors as a true freshman last season. Oliver finished third nationally in tackles for loss and added five sacks in 2016. As long as he stays healthy, Houston should remain among the top defenses — not just in their conference or among Group of Five schools, but across the FBS. Backing up Oliver is another sophomore, Aymiel Fleming, who saw spot duty at defensive tackle in eight games last season.
Starting ends: Nick Thurman, Jerard Carter
Backups: Bryan Jones, Zach Vaughan
On either side of Oliver are a pair of veterans, redshirt senior Nick Thurman and redshirt junior Jerard Carter. Each started in at least half of Houston’s games last season. Ranked fourth nationally in run defense in 2016, the front three could continue to improve in 2017 as they become more familiar working together.
Another redshirt junior, Zach Vaughan, will continue to fill a reserve role as he has in 22 games over the past two seasons. The bigger question for Applewhite and defensive coordinator Mark D’Onofrio is whether prized recruit Bryan Jones will be able to clear NCAA eligibility hurdles in time to be enrolled at UH and playing for the Cougars this fall.
Linebackers
Starting outside linebackers: Emeke Egbule, Austin Robinson
Backups: Ralph Harvey Jr., Leroy Godfrey
Austin Robinson is an interesting case study in how a skilled player isn’t limited to a particular position. Originally a quarterback at UTSA, Robinson played in eight games on offense for the Roadrunners in 2014. He transferred to Houston and sat out the 2015 season, but prior to that move he had been shifted to safety by the UTSA staff. He saw limited duty at the position once he took the field in 2016, and has moved to linebacker this spring.
There he has taken off, and looks likely to get one of the starting spots on the edge after leading the team with six tackles and a sack in the spring game. The other outside backer will probably be Emeke Egbule, who earned five starts last season and looks to fill the position full time. Robinson might also team up with another former transfer, Ralph Harvey Jr., and redshirt sophomore Leroy Godfrey will probably see increased snaps in 2017.
Starting inside linebackers: Matthew Adams, D’Juan Hines
Backups: Jordan Milburn, Nomluis Fruge
Playing in the middle of the second level, Matthew Adams has developed into one of the Cougars’ top defenders. Adams led the team last year with 82 tackles, with 7.5 for loss and two sacks. He piled up a dozen of those tackles against San Diego State, one of the few bright spots of an otherwise dismal bowl blowout. He will likely partner in the starting lineup with D’Juan Hines, a senior looking to take over the full-time position after starting seven games last year.
Both Adams and Hines are fairly secure in their positions. Redshirt senior Nomluis Fruge has served little more than spot duty throughout his career. Sophomore reserve Jordan Milburn offers higher upside, but still lacks the combination of experience and production that Adams and Hines bring to the table. If either goes down, it could have a major impact on overall defensive productivity.
Defensive Backs
Starting safeties: Garrett Davis, Khalil Williams
Backups: Terrell Williams, Collin Wilder
Houston returns both its starters at safety from last season in Garrett Davis and Khalil Williams. Davis was a versatile disruptor off the edge. He had three sacks and seven tackles for loss in addition to five passes defensed and a fumble. Williams finished third on the team last year with 69 tackles. Both will be counted on to be on the field for the bulk of the snaps at safety.
Behind the pair, Terrell Williams (no relation to Khalil) also has starting experience. Sophomore Collin Wilder saw playing time on special teams last season and should enter the safety rotation more regularly in 2017.
Starting cornerbacks: Jeremy Winchester, Isaiah Johnson
Backups: Ka’Darian Smith, Javian Smith
Isaiah Johnson offers interesting potential at cornerback. The redshirt junior spent the past two seasons as a wide receiver. At 6-foot-4 he is far bigger than most cornerbacks, which could prove to be a matchup nightmare for many AAC opponents. He will probably see regular playing time, but whether or not Johnson earns a starting role is another question.
Also fighting for starting spots are a pair of veterans who have spent their whole time in the defensive backfield. Jeremy Winchester is a redshirt junior who has started 10 games over the past two seasons. He will likely man the opposite corner spot from Johnson. Javian Smith played in 11 games last year as a true freshman. He and fellow sophomore Ka’Darian Smith will also see playing time the defensive backfield tries to improve on the secondary’s 2016 numbers.
Offensive Line
Starting tackles: Josh Jones (LT), Braylon Jones (RT)
Backups: Jarrid Williams, Na’Ty Rodgers
As a redshirt freshman, left tackle Josh Jones was the only player on the offensive line to start all 13 games last year. He will protect the blindside of whichever quarterback takes over at starter for Greg Ward Jr. On the other side of the line, Braylon Jones looks ready to take over full time at right tackle after starting five games as a true freshman in 2016. The pair are the likeliest starters, though backups Jarrid Williams and Na’Ty Rodgers will see the field on plenty of snaps.
Starting center: Will Noble
Backup: Ryan Deshotel
Other than the UCF game, which he missed with a minor injury, Will Noble locked down the center position last year. He was a freshman All-America selection in 2015 after starting eight games. He is going to be a mainstay again for Applewhite. His backup, redshirt sophomore Ryan Deshotel, saw limited action in five games last year. Barring injury, he will only see spot action again in 2017.
Starting guards: Mason Denley (LG), Marcus Oliver (RG)
Backups: Kameron Eloph, Alex Fontana
At the end of last season, Mason Denley and Marcus Oliver locked down their starting positions at left guard and right guard respectively. Denley is a redshirt junior who also earned six starts in 2015. Oliver is a senior who is now a four-year contributor to the line.
Alex Fontana, a junior college transfer, also has starting experience after earning five starts last season in his first year with the team. He will also see playing time along with junior Kameron Eloph, who also has eight starts to his credit.
Receivers
Starting receivers: Linell Bonner, Keith Corbin, Steven Dunbar
Backups: Courtney Lark, Terry Mark, John Leday
Chance Allen is gone from last year’s team, but otherwise the core group of receivers remains from the 2016 Cougars. Linell Bonner, the 2016 team leader in receptions and receiving yards per game, returns for his senior season. So does Steven Dunbar, another senior who had the most receiving touchdowns among returning players.
Marquez Stevenson looked like a possibility to gain an increased role, but an ACL injury will keep him out for the 2017 season. Isaiah Johnson transitioned to cornerback for the Cougars this season. That means sophomore Keith Corbin could be the favorite to take over in three-receiver sets.
He will be pushed for reps by fellow sophomores Courtney Lark and Terry Mark, who had fewer opportunities to take the field last season. Along with John Leday, who received a medical redshirt in 2013 and was also injured through the 2014 season, Houston has a deep receiving corps that includes both experience and upside.
Starting tight end: Romello Brooker
Backups: Alex Leslie
With the loss of two-year starter Tyler McCloskey, who is now a rookie with the San Francisco 49ers, the Cougars need new stars to step up at tight end. McCloskey was a TE/fullback hybrid, although that isn’t a prerequisite. Instead look for players like Romello Brooker, who saw time in 12 games last year, to step up their game in other ways. Brooker and former Iowa State transfer Alex Leslie, who will hopefully be recovered from a leg injury suffered in spring practices, will be counted on to replicate the skill set McCloskey brought to the table.
Running Backs
Starting running back: Duke Catalon
Backups: Dillon Birden
The most important skill player returning from last season’s Houston roster is Duke Catalon. The former Teas Longhorn redshirted his only season in Austin in 2014. After transferring to the Cougars, Catalon sat out 2015 before finally taking the field last year. As a redshirt sophomore, Catalon played in nine games and led the team with 528 rushing yards. He will be expected to shoulder more of the load on the ground this season.
Spelling Catalon on the field will be Dillon Birden. The junior college transfer was Houston’s leader in rushing touchdowns last year, and he enters his final year of eligibility looking to push Catalon for carries. Birden notched six touchdowns and averaged 4.7 yards per carry. He could also offer potential as a receiver out of the backfield or in the slot on exotic looks.
The competition should benefit both backs. They will also be pushed further by sophomores Kevrin Justice and Mulbah Car. With question marks at quarterback, the Cougars could lean more on their running game. That would mean a greater wealth of carries to spread all around.
Quarterbacks
Starting quarterback: Kyle Allen
Backup: D’Eriq King/Kyle Postma
With the graduation of three-year starter Greg Ward Jr., Houston enters a new era. Texas A&M transfer Kyle Allen was the scout team QB last season. He now has the inside track to take over Ward’s role as starter.
Allen started 14 games over two seasons in College Station and took the majority of snaps in spring practices. That does not guarantee Allen the job, but it would be surprising to see anyone else behind center to open the season against UTSA.
Backing up Allen could be D’Eriq King, the sophomore who spent most of his time at wide receiver last season. King is a solid all-around athlete who caught 29 of Ward’s passes last year. However, he attempted just three passes himself over the course of the season. He took over backup duties later in the season, but was also injured through the spring.
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King could be supplanted on the depth chart, then, by redshirt senior Kyle Postma. The junior college star served in a backup role behind Ward for most of the past two seasons. His success at Trinity Valley Community College and 63 percent completion rate at the FBS level make him the more reliable and known quantity between the two prospective backups.