Malachi Nelson transfer portal rumors: 5 best destinations for USC QB
By John Buhler
4. Houston Cougars have some ground to make up in newfangled Big 12
What about Willie Fritz's new team? Yeah, what about the Houston Cougars? They may have Donovan Smith on the roster, but U of H needs to take advantage of its situation in the newfangled Big 12. This may be a former Group of Five team, but always had the financial resources of a Power Five team. The fact it is in talent-rich Harris County only adds to the allure of Houston becoming a Big 12 behemoth.
Of course, this all starts with the Cougars going at least 8-4 in Fritz's first season on the job. He may have gotten a bump in pay and gone from Group of Five to Power Five, but he is not getting any younger. Firmly in his 60s, we don't know if Fritz can realistically overtake the Big 12's Faithful Eight or the seven other newcomers either coming up from the Group of Five or over from the Pac-12 soon.
However, U of H is a place where quarterbacks can thrive. From the run-and-shoot days that made Andre Ware a Heisman Trophy winner and David Klingler a college star, to guys like Kevin Kolb, Case Keenum and most recently D'Eriq King running variations of the Air Raid, Houston is a great place to be a passing-conscious quarterback. Money, opportunity and Power Five make U of H very intriguing.
As soon as Fritz took the job, I suspected Houston would get a quarterback in the transfer portal.