Houston signing 5-star QB Keisean Henderson is a program defining win

Willie Fritz's first season at Houston in 2024 was concerning as the Cougars went 4-8 with a 3-6 record in Big 12 play. Year 2 however was what Willie Fritz has done everywhere he's been, as he led the team to a 10-3 record including a win over LSU in the Texas Bowl. Almost as important as the results on the field was what Willie Fritz was doing on the recruiting trail.

For a program like Houston, sharing a state with Texas and Texas A&M along with new NIL power Texas Tech has made it hard to keep the best players in the Houston area home to play for the Cougars. Willie Fritz quickly proved that he's the head coach who's up to the task in this recruiting cycle.

Keisean Hendeson ends 2026 recruiting cycle as 5-star recruit

On Tuesday Morning, Rivals unveiled their final recruiting rankings for the 2026 class that signed this Winter. Among the players to finish the cycle as a 5-star recruit was Houston native Keisean Henderson who finishes the cycle as the 4th ranked player in the class.

Keisean Henderson signed with the Cougars this winter as a 5-star recruit, but with one last set of rankings left to be unveiled, there was always a chance he would lose his 5-star status. Instead, Keisean Henderson jumps from the 7th ranked player in the class to the 4th while trailing only Vanderbilt signee Jared Curtis in the quarterback rankings.

Houston landing a 5-star quarterback sets the Cougars up for an exciting stretch they have to capitalize on. Keisean Henderson will sit behind Conner Weigman for a season, but if everything goes according to plan he'll be the Cougars starter for 2 seasons before heading to the NFL.

With a 5-star talent in Keisean Henderson waiting in the wings, Houston should find it much easier to recruit around him. Playing with a quarterback of Henderson's caliber will be a great pitch to offensive playmakers, and it could end up setting Houston up to emerge as one of the powers in the Big 12.