Houston 2012 Recruiting

Houston Cougars 2012 ... Head Coach: Tony Levine

Houston Cougars

2011 Record: 13-1

Sep. 3 UCLA W 38-34
Sep. 10 at North Texas W 48-23
Sep. 17 at La Tech W 35-34
Sep. 24 Georgia State W 56-0
Oct. 1 at UTEP W 49-42
Oct. 8 East Carolina W 56-3
Oct. 15 OPEN DATE
Oct. 22 Marshall W 63-28
Oct. 29 Rice W 73-34
Nov. 5 at UAB W 56-13
Nov. 12 at Tulane W 73-17
Nov. 19 SMU W 37-7
Nov. 26 at Tulsa W 48-16
Conference USA Championship
Dec. 3 Southern Miss L 49-28
TicketCity Bowl
Jan. 2 Penn State W 30-14

2010 CFN Prediction: 9-3
2010 Record: 5-7

Sept. 4 Texas State W 68-28
Sept. 10 UTEP W 54-24
Sept. 18 at UCLA L 31-13
Sept. 25 Tulane W 42-23
Oct. 2 OPEN DATE
Oct. 9 Miss State L 47-24
Oct. 16 at Rice L 34-31
Oct. 23 at SMU W 45-20
Oct. 30 at Memphis W 56-17
Nov. 5 UCF L 40-33
Nov. 13 Tulsa L 28-25
Nov. 20 at Southern Miss L 59-41
Nov. 27 at Texas Tech L 35-20
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The Entire 2012 Recruiting Class  

Top 5 Houston Recruits To Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. DT Donald Hopkins
6-2, 270, Scout.com 33rd ranked, three-star tackle.

2. DT Tomme Mark
6-1, 255, Scout.com 42nd ranked, three-star tackle.

3. RB Terrence Taylor
5-10, 205, Scout.com 52nd ranked, three-star running back.

4. LB Thaddeus LaGrone
6-2, 215, Scout.com 67th ranked, three-star outside linebacker.

5. RB Ryan Jackson
5-11, 180, Scout.com 69th ranked, three-star running back.

The 2012 Class Was Heavy On... Can new head man Tony Levine keep the fun going? Quarterback isn’t a big priority - even with Case Keenum and Cotton Turner gone – thanks to the 2010 class. Receiver isn’t a concern after bringing in a slew of talents last year. The defensive front seven will get the most attention with Levine working hardest for the line while also looking at linebacker for a few key prospects.

Team Concerns For 2012: Passing game. Did Kevin Sumlin do his job recruiting over the last few seasons? David Piland is the likely new starting quarterback, but the pecking order has to quickly be determined. Patrick Edwards, Tyron Carrier, and Justin Johnson are all gone. Daniel Spencer could be the key pickup from last year’s class for this year’s receiving corps.

Looking Ahead To The 2012 Season: Life goes on after a terrific 13-1 season. New head coach Tony Levine has a ton of work to do, but the system is still in place to keep the offensive production rolling. Case Keenum is finally done, and so is backup Cotton Turner. David Piland has a little bit of experience and should be ready to roll right away, but he won’t have the same receiving corps Keenum enjoyed with all the top targets gone. On the plus side, four starters are back on the line. Heart-and-soul LB Sammy Brown is done, as is running mate Marcus McGraw. Three starters return to the secondary and seven starters are back overall on a defense that never got enough attention. Matt Hogan is an ultra-reliable kicker, and punter Richie Leone might actually be used this year.

2011 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 67. That Class Was Heavy On ... Receivers. The 2010 class brought in several strong quarterback prospects, and they’re going to need someone to throw to. The Cougars are looking to stop someone from throwing, and now, with JUCO corners Chevy Bennett and D.J. Hayden, but the offense got the bulk with several nice receivers. Daniel Spencer and C.J. McElroy are short, quick targets, while 6-3, Mark Roberts has the potential to be a No. 1 in time. RB Kenny Farrow and QB Bram Kohlhausen will fight for starting jobs in the near future.

2010 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 54. That Class Was Heavy On ... Quarterbacks. The miserable run defense got a big piece to the puzzle with 285-pound JUCO transfer Matangi Tonga an almost certain instant starter in the defensive interior, and linebacker Sammy Brown will get a job from Day One at one of the spots. The secondary was also addressed with three excellent corners in Dominique Sanders, Alton Demby, and Zach McMillen. The highlight of the class, though, was at quarterback where four prospects were brought in to develop in a hurry with Case Keenum leaving next year. Terrance Broadway came in from Baton Rouge, after getting offers from Alabama, Nebraska, and Oregon, and could be the most interesting of the candidates, Aaron Johnson is a great athlete who got offers to switch positions from several big-name schools, and David Piland comes in from Carroll High in Southlake, famous for Chase Daniel, among others.

2009 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 58. That Class Was Heavy On ... offensive linemen. The loss of three starting linemen to graduation prompted Kevin Sumlin to spend extra time cultivating the next generation of Cougar blockers. Three new tackles and three new guards provide a nice foundation for the future and the present. At tackle, for instance, Ralph Oragwu is a three-star high-schooler with enormous upside and Roy Watts is a ready-made JUCO transfer, who turned away offers from SEC and Big 12 suitors.

TicketCity Bowl
Houston 30 ... Penn State 14
- CFN Thoughts on the TicketCity

Houston: Yards. Houston 600 – Penn State 306. … Case Keenum completed 45-of-69 passes for 532 yards and three scores … Charles Sims ran six times for 39 yards. … Justin Johnson caught 12 passes for 148 yards and a score, and Patrick Edwards caught ten passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns. … Marcus McGraw and Kent Brooks each made ten tackles. … Nick Saenz made eight tackles wnd two interceptions.

Penn State: Rushing yards: Penn State 169 – Houston 68 … Rob Bolden completed 7-of-26 passes for 137 yards and one touchdown with three picks. … Stephfon Green ran 15 times for 63 yards and a score. … Devon Smith made two catches for 49 yards. … Nate Stupar made 12 tackles.

DALLAS (AP) -- Penn State's tumultuous year ended with a 30-14 loss to Houston in the TicketCity Bowl on Monday, a dispiriting finish to a season in which coach Joe Paterno was fired as part of a child sex-abuse scandal that shook college sports.

The 24th-ranked Nittany Lions were picked apart by Cougars star Case Keenum, who threw for 532 yards and three touchdowns. Penn State was allowing 162 yards passing per game, but Keenum threw for more than double that by halftime.

"I thought the guys came out and they played hard. It's been a difficult year for them," Penn State interim coach Tom Bradley said. "It just didn't go our way."

Keenum burned the Nittany Lions' veteran secondary with touchdown passes of 40 and 75 yards to build a 24-7 lead by halftime.

It was the school's first bowl game without Paterno as head coach since the 1962 Gator Bowl, a 17-7 loss to Florida.

The Hall of Famer was fired Nov. 9 in the aftermath of the shocking charges against retired assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. Longtime defensive coordinator Bradley took over on an interim basis, tasked with guiding a team besieged by media scrutiny.

"These kids have been through hell and back," said assistant coach Jay Paterno, Joe's son.

Bypassed by more prominent bowls, some Nittany Lions debated whether to travel to Dallas at all, then vowed they were over getting jilted and focused on stopping Houston.

Turned out Linbacker U. got trampled over by Keenum and Houston's high-octane offense.

Receiver Patrick Edwards burned safety Macolm Willis for a 40-yard touchdown pass from Keenum down the left sideline for a 7-0 lead just 1:52 into the game that often resembled a one-sided track meet. Keenum hit Justin Johnson for an 8-yard TD pass with 2:35 left for a 17-0 lead.

Already the NCAA career leader coming into the game for passing yardage and touchdown passes, Keenum added another record to his impressive resume. His 227 first-quarter passing yards set the record for most passing yards in one quarter in any bowl game, breaking the mark previously held by Louisville's Browning Nagle (223 yards) against Alabama in the first quarter of the 1991 Fiesta Bowl, according to TicketCity Bowl officials.

Penn State All-American defensive tackle Devon Still, already slowed by turf toe, couldn't keep up with Keenum's quick release and Houston's no-huddle attack. The Cougars exploited Penn State's bend-but-don't -break defense across the middle, including Edwards 75-yard touchdown reception up the seam from a scrambling Keenum for a 24-7 lead by halftime.

Keenum finished 45 of 69 passing - two fewer attempts than the number of offensive plays Penn State ran all afternoon.

Down by 20 midway through the third quarter, cornerback Stephon Morris tried to keep his fellow defenders motivated on the bench with high-fives. The struggling offense without injured starting quarterback Matt McGloin provided a glimmer of hope after backup Rob Bolden connected with Justin Brown for a pretty 69-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 27-14 at 2:38 of the third quarter.

Penn State's defense adjusted to hold the Cougars to just two field goals in the second half, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome, and Bolden threw three second-half interceptions - two by safety Nick Saenz.

With 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Penn State had already given up 552 yards of total offense to Houston, the most allowed by the Nittany Lions all season.

This wasn't the lasting impression Bradley wanted to leave on the Penn State committee searching for Paterno's replacement. The outgoing Bradley, who is popular with players, is among the candidates who have been interviewed. Acting athletic director David Joyner has said he hopes to have a new coach in place to give him a few weeks to recruit before Feb. 1, when high school seniors can announce their college choices.

Bolden finished 7 of 26 passing for 137 yards, while Stephfon Green ran 63 yards on 15 carries including a 6-yard scoring run on a direct snap in the second quarter.

It was one of the few times the Cougars' D was tricked. After getting upset 49-28 by Southern Mississippi in the Conference USA title game, and lose a chance to play in the BCS, Houston ended the season with an impressive win over a power conference team.

Edwards finished with 10 catches and 228 yards for two touchdowns, while Johnson had 12 catches for 148 yards at the 92,000-seat Cotton Bowl. The stands were about a half-full on a sunny afternoon that ended with Houston's red-clad fans celebrating in the stands and chanting "Houston."

Nov. 25 Houston 48 … at Tulsa 16  

Nov. 19 at Houston 37 … SMU 7

Nov. 10 Houston 73 … at Tulane 17

Nov. 5 Houston 56 ... at UAB 13

Oct. 27 at Houston 73 … Rice 34
CFN Analysis: Case Keenum set the all-time record for most touchdown passes thrown for a career, and even though it might seem like the Cougars were rubbing it in, it’s what they need to do to get attention. They’re not talked about in the BCS hunt, and they needed to generate a buzz. Keenum is it. Lost in the shuffle thanks to Keenum’s record-setting night was a brilliant game from Patrick Edwards, who came up with an unstoppable 318 yards and five scores on just seven catches, while Tyrone Carrier caught seven passes for 85 yards and a score while tying the NCAA record for most kickoff returns for a score after taking the opening kickoff the distance. The defense was soft and Rice had a 17-7 lead before the onslaught, and the three turnovers weren’t pretty, but whatever. It was a special night for Keenum and Houston football.  

Nov. 19 at Houston 37 … SMU 7

Oct. 22 at Houston 63 … Marshall 28  

Oct. 8 at Houston 56 … East Carolina 3
CFN Analysis: Houston played … defense?! It was like Case Keenum and the offense were so used to having to bomb away to keep up with the porous defense that they kept playing with the normal sense of urgency that wasn’t necessary. Keenum threw for 307 yards and three scores, and the ground game came up with 215 yards and five scores in the easy win, but it was the defense that made it a blowout with four picks and a phenomenal pass rush. George Bamfo was unstoppable with three sacks and Sammy Brown chipped in with two more, along with six tackles. Throw in the Georgia State game, and the Cougars have held two teams to a total of three points in two of the last three games. Marshall’s offense doesn’t have much pop, and if Keenum can connect on 30-of-37 passes, and if the D can win the turnover battle, there won’t be a problem.  

Sept. 29 Houston 49 … at UTEP 42
CFN Analysis: Houston is going to be in for a wild, wild ride. The offense continues to be unstoppable, except late when it was time to close out the game, but the defense doesn’t have the pass rush to protect the secondary and the linebackers are taking too many bad angles. Case Keenum continues to put up huge yards, throwing for 471 yards and two scores, but it was Charles Sims who came up with the big night running for 111 yards and two scores on 12 carries, and catching two passes for 90 yards including an 84-yard score. Yes, the defense came up with the one final hold when UTEP had a last shot into the end zone, and yes, the offense rolled up 710 yards, but even though the Cougars dominated in several ways, that the game was so close showed just how many holes there are. The need to be closed at home over the next three games against East Carolina, Marshall, and Rice. 

Sept. 24 at Houston 56 … Georgia State 0
CFN Analysis: It was target practice. Georgia State didn’t have a chance as Case Keenum threw for 415 yards and three different passers combined for 561 yards and three touchdowns, while the running game got five scores and 171 yards. 14 players caught passes in a perfect game for the Cougars; it was an easy win and the backups all got meaningful work. This was a true preseason type of game, and the team acted like it. It’s time to go to work with a date at UTEP up next and with three straight home games to follow. There isn’t a team on the slate that can beat the Cougars if Keenum and the offense are humming.

Sept. 17 Houston 35 ... at Louisiana Tech 34
CFN Analysis: And that’s why Case Keenum is special. He and the offense could stink for three quarters, and then he caught fire and finished with 351 yards and three scores. The problem going forward is the hole dug in the first place. Houston has been fine, but it lived on the edge against UCLA and it should’ve lost this week had Tech not collapsed. Three takeaways were a big help, but this was Keenum being Keenum to bring the team back, and it helped that Patrick Edwards finally became a bigger part of the attack with two scoring grabs. The pass rush isn’t there and the defense hasn’t been a plus, but the passing attack leads the nation and should keep blowing up once Conference USA play starts. Next week is one final tune-up, getting an easy win against Georgia State.  

Sept. 10 Houston 48 … at North Texas 23
CFN Analysis: The Cougars have yet to generate a sack, the defense has been mediocre, and Bryce Beall has yet to get off for the running game, but Case Keenum was Case Keenum again completing 26-of-41 passes for 458 yards with five touchdowns, and Cotton Turner stepped in to add 105 yards through the air once the game became a blowout. Patrick Edwards came alive after not doing much against UCLA, catching eight passes for 187 yards and a score, and now the Cougars are 2-0 with winnable games against Louisiana Tech, Georgia State, and UTEP before facing East Carolina.  

Sept. 3 at Houston 38 … UCLA 34
CFN Analysis: Case Keenum looked as good as new showing now ill-effects from his knee injury completing 30-of-40 passes for 310 yards and two scores, spreading the ball around to nine different receivers with Tyron Carrier catching ten passes for 138 yards and a score, but the attack fizzled in the second half trying to hold the lead. Even with the offense working as well as hoped for against a good Bruin defense in the first half, there were some key mistakes in the end that allowed the game to get close. The Cougars needed to be able to run the clock out, but a few missed throws extended the game. That’s Houston football, though, and it allowed Keenum to close it out. Now comes a date at North Texas before a possible shootout against Louisiana Tech.  

The 2011 Recruiting Class Is Heavy On … Receivers. The 2010 class brought in several strong quarterback prospects, and they’re going to need someone to throw to. The Cougars are looking to stop someone from throwing, and now, with JUCO corners Chevy Bennett and D.J. Hayden, but the offense got the bulk with several nice receivers. Daniel Spencer and C.J. McElroy are short, quick targets, while 6-3, Mark Roberts has the potential to be a No. 1 in time. RB Kenny Farrow and QB Bram Kohlhausen will fight for starting jobs in the near future.

Five Houston Recruits You Should Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. QB Bram Kohlhausen
Really has a great fastball and can throw across his body with zip. You can tell he plays baseball and tends to wind up a bit on his passes but he throws with some serious speed. Good field leader and is a selfless player who is more concerned about the team doing well than stacking up stats. He is a pocket-passer but is a darn good one.

2. RB Kenny Farrow
Farrow is a grinder who will give you 20 carries a game in between the hashes. He is a tough in between the tackles runner who looks good running behind a lead blocker or out of the spread. He has nice moves and seems to make quick cuts, but he is not a home-run back. He is a strong runner and seems to always pick up yards after first contact. Because of his tough running style durability could be an issue.

3. WR Daniel Spencer
6-0, 185, Scout.com’s 120th ranked receiver

4. OT Daniel Campbell
6-5, 345, three-star JUCO transfer

5. WR Jafus Gaines
6-1, 175, Scout.com’s 139th ranked receiver

2011 Entire Recruiting Class

Kourtlandt Akins OL 6-5 290 Fr. Houston, Texas/Lamar
Lloyd Allen LB 6-4 240 Jr. Baton Rouge, La./Mississippi Gulf Coast CC / Scotlandville
Chevy Bennett DB 6-1 190 Jr. Dallas, Texas/Navarro JC/Sachse
Alex Cooper DL 6-5 245 Fr. Bellaire, Texas/Second Baptist
Everett Daniels LB 6-0 210 Jr. Sachse, Texas/Trinity Valley CC/Sachse
Keithen English DL 6-2 315 Fr. Dallas, Texas/A. Maceo Smith
Kenneth Farrow ATH 5-11 195 Fr. Hurst, Texas/L.D. Bell
Earl Foster DB 6-0 205 Fr. Houston, Texas/Lamar
D.J. Hayden DB 6-0 185 Jr. Houston, Texas/Navarro JC/Ft. Bend Elkins
Zachary Johnson OL 6-7 300 Fr. Norman, Okla./Norman
Bram Kohlhausen QB 6-2 193 Fr. Houston, Texas/Lamar
Derrick Mathews LB 6-0 193 Fr. Houston, Texas/North Shore
Joey Mbu DL 6-3 308 Fr. Richmond, Texas/Foster
C.J. McElroy WR 5-10 185 Fr. League City, Texas/Clear Creek
William Moore ATH 6-2 205 Fr. Houston, Texas/James Madison
Emeka Okafor OL 6-5 320 Fr. Sunnyvale, Texas/Sunnyvale
Dewayne Peace WR 6-0 190 Jr. Grand Prairie, Texas/Blinn College/So Grand Prairie
DeVonte Potier DB 5-10 180 Fr. Houston, Texas/Wheatley
Desmond Pulliam LB 6-0 225 Fr. Louise, Texas/Louise
Mark Roberts WR 6-4 185 Fr. Orange, Texas/West Orange Stark
Dominic Smith DL 6-3 301 Jr. Houston, Texas/Blinn College/Hastings
Daniel Spencer RB 6-0 175 Fr. Grandview, Texas/Grandview