A Season of Shifting Sands: Houston Cougars' Final Stock Watch After a Tough Big 12 Welcome

Well, here we are. The dust has settled on the Houston Cougars' first foray into the Big 12, and honestly, it’s a pretty somber scene. That final regular season game against UCF, ending in a 27-13 loss, really just capped off a tough, tough year. Finishing up 4-8 overall and a mere 2-7 in conference play isn't exactly the grand entrance everyone had hoped for. It certainly leaves a lot of questions hanging in the air, doesn't it?

But even in the most challenging of seasons, you always find little pockets of resilience, little glimmers of what could be. It's like watching a market crash, but a few individual stocks still manage to outperform. So, let's dive into our final stock watch for the Cougars this year – who's truly trending up, showing promise for the future, and whose stock, unfortunately, is on a significant slide?

Let's start with a genuine bright spot: quarterback Donovan Smith. Now, let’s be real, his season began with more than a few bumps in the road, some real head-scratching moments, you know? But somewhere around the TCU game, something just seemed to click. From that point on, he really started to find his rhythm, showing the kind of grit and dual-threat capability that makes you sit up and take notice. He finished the season with nearly 2,900 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, and yes, 13 interceptions – but also added over 400 rushing yards and six scores on the ground. Against UCF, even in the loss, he looked sharp, resilient. He’s definitely put himself in a prime position to be "the guy" heading into next season, and that's a stock that has clearly climbed.

Another name whose arrow is pointing decidedly upward is wide receiver Stephon Johnson Jr. If you blinked, you might have missed his impact early on, especially with injuries sidelining him for a bit. But man, did he come on strong in those last couple of games, particularly against Oklahoma State and UCF. He just looked so explosive, so dynamic, snagging 27 catches for 371 yards and a touchdown by season's end. It's those late-season flashes of brilliance, the way he seemed to effortlessly separate from defenders, that truly excite. He's certainly someone to keep an eye on, a potential breakout star if he can stay healthy and continue to develop.

Alright, time for the tough conversations. On the "trending down" side, it's really the entire Houston Cougars program, as a collective, that's taken a hit. Finishing with four straight losses and a 4-8 record overall just isn't what anyone expected, especially in their shiny new conference home. The defense, particularly against the run, often looked overwhelmed, struggling to contain opponents week after week. It really feels like the team never quite found its footing, making the transition to the Big 12 a much harder hill to climb than anticipated. The overall stock for the team, sadly, is in decline.

And when a team struggles this much, inevitably, all eyes turn to the head coach. Dana Holgorsen’s job security is, without a doubt, a stock that’s plummeting. A 4-8 record, the losing streak, and a clear struggle to compete consistently in the Big 12 have really ratcheted up the pressure. He’s still got a contract running until 2027, which offers some stability, sure, but in the cutthroat world of college football, performance dictates everything. The heat is definitely on, and the expectations for next season will be absolutely immense. Something has to change, and fast, for that particular stock to recover.

So, there you have it. A season that began with excitement and anticipation ended with a bit of a thud for the Houston Cougars. While individual talents like Smith and Johnson Jr. offer genuine reasons for optimism looking ahead, the collective performance and the coaching hot seat are significant concerns. It's going to be a fascinating, and likely busy, offseason for the program as they try to regroup and chart a new course in their new conference.