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Tom Herman's UH Cougars looking more like a Power Five program
I got to Houston early Thursday morning for at 7 AM practice. It was steamy, as in you're sweating by your third step out of the car. Last time I remember being around a place that humid to watch a team practice was Miami years ago. I was surprised at just how physical UH practiced. There was a ton of hitting. And the Cougars don't look like the typical non Power 5 when it comes to their length and size. Their D-line jumps out at you. True freshman Ed Oliver is a beast. He wears No. 10 and he stands out for a lot of reasons. I'm not sure he's really 6-2 as listed, but man, is he explosive. He's also really good with his hands, especially for being so young. Same with his relentless effort. I noticed times where he had two guys on him and he still was powering his way into the play. He was even running down the field on kickoff coverage. He is going to be a huge problem for opponents this fall and I expect he's going to dominate the AAC. The other Cougar D-linemen around him were impressive too, and their entire front seven looked strong.
The other headliner is QB Greg Ward Jr. His motion and size at about 5-10, 187, aren't textbook, but he's a superb athlete and he was really accurate. From talking to him a little after practice, it was obvious how well he has bought into Tom Herman's approach and how much he and his teammates get the accountability part of this turnaround here.
.@UHCougarFB QB Greg Ward Jr on the cover 1 of the 4 Sports Illustrated college football regional preview pic.twitter.com/EunjCKvtMY
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) August 9, 2016
Kyle Allen, the Texas A&M transfer sitting out this fall, got a lot of reps at this practice I saw and looked like the former blue-chip recruit that he was. One of the coaches remarked about Allen's ability to stay focused for extended periods of time. That's a great quality to have particular for a college player amid brutal heat and humidity when they also know they have no chance of playing in a game this fall.
I heard some really good things about Texas transfer RB Duke Catalon. He's a more dynamic runner than anything UH had in the backfield last year, and should be a good compliment to Ward. We'll see how much depth they have behind Catalon though. Young Mulbah Car, a true freshman from Liberia that I wrote about earlier this summer, had a few nice runs but he's going to have to step it up. I know the coaches were making a point to show him an effort tape they have of one of Herman's former stars from Ohio State, Ezekial Elliott to stress the details of playing the position at a high level.
Former Oregon WR Chance Allen was the one wideout I kept noticing. He's got really good size and range. Isaiah Johnson, a fast 6-4 sophomore who lit up the spring game, needs to become a lot more consistent catching the ball. It'll be interesting to see which of the young receivers emerge in this offense.
The Cougars lost a bunch of good DBs, but they still looked like they have some long, fast DBs. Brandon Wilson, a super athletic CB, should be their next breakout star and keep an eye on Terrell Williams, a 6-3, 210-pound JC transfer that could be a difference-maker down the road.
One other point that stuck with me: I thought the Cougars have some good staff chemistry after sitting in their meetings. Herman's personality not only has rubbed off on this team but also in all other aspects of this football program. Former Texas star Major Applewhite is doing very well as UH's OC and the DC Todd Orlando is a rising star in the business.
