What’s Happening In Houston? 4 Things to Know

There is a lot of buzz surrounding the Houston Cougars these days; and topics hotter than a summer day in Space City. So as we go through another week, here are four things to know about when it comes to the Coogs.

Spring Football Is Over, Big Questions Remain

The Cougars wrapped up their first spring practice under head coach Tom Herman with the Red-White game at TDECU Stadium. It was pretty much what you would expect from the first major scrimmage under a new regime; low-scoring, a lot of different play calls and personnel packages, and a variety of players getting a shot on both sides of the ball.

But what you didn’t see is something that will dog this team and Herman throughout the summer and into fall: a clear-cut number one quarterback. Greg Ward, Jr. did his part to hold on to his starting spot, completing 13-of-17 passes for 115 yards. He threw one interception and no touchdowns. It was Ward’s feet that propelled the White Team to victory; he ran the ball 14 times and had two scores on the ground, including a 19-yarder for the first touchdown of the game. Adam Schulz was 11-of-19 for 105 yards. He also didn’t throw for a touchdown, but didn’t turn the ball over either.

Neither QB took a giant leap toward the top of the depth chart. Again, this will be a topic of conversation for Herman throughout the summer. Hopefully it gets resolved before the September 5 season opener. This year is an unusual situation with Ward and Schulz, but be sure as long as Herman (with his quarterback pedigree) and his former QB offensive coordinator (Major Applewhite) are around, the quarterback position will always be squarely in the spotlight.

Coach Herman and the President

Speaking of Herman and his success with quarterbacks, the coach got a chance to head of Houston and into… the White House.

Great day at the White House. Awesome experience to meet and talk with @BarackObama. Championships at UH are coming. pic.twitter.com/vNA6llOFeY

— Tom Herman (@CoachTomHerman) April 21, 2015

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Herman re-united with the national championship Ohio State team to be honored by President Obama. Yeah, how’s that for a recruiting tool? Imagine being a potential recruit and seeing that Tweet; Herman standing behind the President of the United States and knowing when you meet the coach he’s going to have a big honking ring on his finger. Advantage: Houston.

A New Man in Charge

Congrats to @HunterYurachek – named @UHouston VP for Intercollegiate Athletics – http://t.co/VHILIRJURS #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/Yxy6WSS9qj

— Houston Athletics (@UHCougarSports) April 28, 2015

The major changes in the Houston Athletic Department are now complete with the hiring of Hunter Yurachek as the Athletic Director. Yurachek replaces Mack Rhoades, who left Houston earlier this year to take the same job at Missouri. Yurachek was Rhoades’ second in command, and was one of eight candidates to be interviewed. What does this mean for the football team? It’s always hard to tell, but Yurachek was part of the team that hired Tom Herman. That high-profile hire likely helped his chances, and kept the, albeit brief, rapport between administration and coach intact.

Former Cougars Feeling a Draft

Some former Cougars are hoping to hear their names called as the NFL Draft gets underway. If it happens, they may have to wait a while. There are no Cougars in anyone’s first round mock draft. In fact some so-called “experts” don’t think too highly of these Coogs’ chances.

The first name that comes up is defensive tackle Joey Mbu. The d-line is such a coveted position these days, and Mbu’s senior season could propel him to second-round status; but there’s a better chance his name will be called Saturday.

Wide receiver Deontay Greenberry left school a year early for the draft. This is a very deep draft for wideouts, which could play out one of two ways for Greenberry; he will go late to a team looking to fill a need they didn’t address early, or he will be passed over entirely.

Two other names to look out for are linebackers Derrick Matthews and Efrem Oliphant. If one or both don’t get picked, keep an eye on the waiver wires. Both are high-motor ball hawks who could fit well on a roster, especially on special teams.