Draft Scout Houston Player News, College Football: Houston

2024 CFB/2025-2028 NFL Draft Scout

- Draft Scout Front Page Draft Scout Top 12 NFL Prospect Teams for 2025 (Based on NFL Team Preseason Scouting Grades)

- #1 Oregon (17 players in Top 350 Overall) - #2 Michigan (14) - #3 Ohio State (14) - #4 Georgia (13) - #5 Texas (11) - #6 Notre Dame (11) - #7 Penn State (10) - #8 Iowa (10) - #9 Mississippi (9) - #10 Florida State (9) - #11 Virginia Tech (9) - #12 Miami (9) - 2024-2028 CFB 5* Star Recruits - 2024-2028 FBS/FCS Team Lists/Rosters - CFB's Best Player Names By Year/Position - Draft Scout Player Directory A-Z - Players by School/College List A-Z - End of 2023 Season Risers - End of 2023 Season Fallers - CFB Player News & Notes - Draft Scout Rokfin Football Channel - Draft Scout Weekly - Phil Steele/Draft Scout - Contact Draft Scout Player Rankings by Conference: -ACC- | -American Athletic- | -Big 12- | -Big Ten- | -Conference USA- | -Independent- | -Mid-American- | -Mountain West- | -Pac-12- | -SEC- | -Sun Belt-

2023 CFB/2024-2027 NFL Draft Scout

- Draft Scout Front Page - 2024 NFL Draft Tracker/Results - 2024 Pro Timing Days/Results - 2024 Pro Timing Day Risers by Position - 2024 Pro Timing Day Fallers by Position - 2024 NFL Combine - Josh Buchanan's 2024 Top 100 Small School Prospects - End of Season Risers - End of Season Fallers - 2024 NFL Draft Underclassmen - 2024 Senior Bowl - 2024 East-West Shrine - 2024 Hula Bowl - 2024 HBCU Legacy Bowl - 2023 CFB Bowl Games/Playoffs - CFB Player News & Notes 12/03 Final CFB Playoff Top 12
- #1 Michigan - #2 Washington - #3 Texas - #4 Alabama - #5 Florida State - #6 Georgia - #7 Ohio State - #8 Oregon - #9 Missouri - #10 Penn State - #11 Mississippi - #12 Oklahoma - 2023-2027 FBS/FCS Team Lists/Rosters - CFB's Best Player Names By Year/Position - Draft Scout Player Directory A-Z - Players by School/College List A-Z - Draft Scout Rokfin Football Channel - Draft Scout Weekly - Phil Steele/Draft Scout - Contact Draft Scout Player Rankings by Conference: -ACC- | -American Athletic- | -Big 12- | -Big Ten- | -Conference USA- | -Independent- | -Mid-American- | -Mountain West- | -Pac-12- | -SEC- | -Sun Belt-

NFL Draft Scout History

- 1997 Coach Bill Walsh Draft Insider (First/Early NFL Draft Scout) - 2023 NFL Draft Tracker/Results - 2023 Undrafted by Position - 2023 Pro Timing Days/Results - 2023 Pro Timing Day Risers by Position - Draft Scout Evolve: Player Rating Changes - 2023 NFL Combine - Draft Scout CFB Risers - Draft Scout CFB Fallers - 2023 NFL Draft Underclassmen - 2023-26 #1 Georgia Bulldogs - 2023-26 #3 TCU Horned Frogs - 2022-23 CFB Bowl Schedule - EA College Football Game Pushed Back to 2024 - CFB Schedule/Roster/News Links - CFB Player Injury News & Notes - CFB Injuries by Year/Position

2022 Draft Scout

- 2022 NFL Draft Tracker - 2022 Pro Timing Days/Results - 2022 Pro Timing Day Risers by Position - 2022 NFL Combine/Results - 2022 NFL Combine Risers by Position - 2022 NFL Draft Underclassmen - 2021 Draft Scout Top 100

Draft Scout by Conference

2023 Draft Scout Offense

2023 Draft Scout Defense

2022 Draft Scout Offense

2022 Draft Scout Defense

Draft Scout College Football Player News: Houston

Previous 15 Notes

Next 15 Notes

12/28/22 - Nathaniel Dell, rJr/2023, Houston + More +

2021 ALL-AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM (COACHES): WR Nathaniel Dell, Houston, So.,...Six Houston student-athletes earned first-team all-conference recognition including wide receiver Nathaniel Dell, offensive tackle Patrick Paul, defensive lineman David Anenih, defensive lineman Logan Hall, safety Gervarrius Owens and Jones at return specialist. Houston's six first-team all-conference honorees marked the most for the program since joining The American and were the most first-team all-conference honorees for the Cougars since having as many in 2011 as a member of Conference USA. - Houston Football

rJr/2023

WR Nathaniel Dell, Houston
News Source: Houston Football
Share/Comment: Here

12/09/21 - Marcus Jones, rSr/2022, Houston + More +

2021 PAUL HORNUNG AWARD WINNER: University of Houston senior Marcus Jones, an All-American return specialist and lock down cornerback who also saw duty on offense, has been named winner of the 2021 Paul Hornung Award presented by Texas Roadhouse, given annually to the most versatile player in major college football. Jones, the 12th winner of the Paul Hornung Award and the first from a Group of Five conference (AAC), also is an accomplished musician.

The Enterprise, Ala., native wrote, sang and produced all tracks for his Complications album under the artist name Elliott J. However, his most well-known strains to-date have been in the college football arena, where he earned consensus All-American Punt Return Specialist in 2020 and AAC Specialist of the Year and second team defense in 2021. A phenomenal athlete with breakaway speed, Jones is known for his acrobatic plays on pass defense and outstanding open-field tackles. He finished the season with 48 tackles, five interceptions, 13 pass breakups, one forced fumble and one tackle for a loss. He ranks second nationally in interceptions and sixth nationally in passes defended per game with 1.4. - Paul Hornung Award

rSr/2022

CB Marcus Jones, Houston
News Source: Paul Hornung Award
Share/Comment: Here

12/01/21 - Marcus Jones, rSr/2022, Houston + More +

2021 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR (COACHES): Marcus Jones, KR/PR, Houston,...Jones, who earned FWAA All-America honors last season, is the third Houston player to be named as The American's Special Teams Player of the Year, joining 2013 winner Demarcus Ayers and 2019 winner Dane Roy. Jones averaged 38.0 yards on 11 kickoff returns and 14.4 yards on 25 punt returns and leads all NCAA FBS players with four special teams touchdowns in 2021 (two kickoff returns, two punt returns). - American Athletic Conference Football

rSr/2022

CB Marcus Jones, Houston
News Source: American Athletic Conference Football
Share/Comment: Here

11/27/21 - Clayton Tune, rSr/2023, Houston + More +

Clayton Tune threw for 301 yards and four touchdowns Saturday as No. 19 Houston tuned up for next week's American Athletic Conference championship game with a 45-17 win over UConn. Nathaniel Dell caught two touchdowns and Jake Herslow and Jeremy Singleton each topped 100 receiving yards to go with a TD apiece for Houston (11-1, 8-0 American), which plays at No. 4 Cincinnati for the AAC title next Saturday. Freshman Alton McCaskill had a 31-yard touchdown run, his 16th of the year for the Cougars, but left the game in the second quarter holding his right shoulder. He finished with 54 yards on the ground.

The Cougars led 21-10 at halftime and scored on their first four possessions of the second half to put the game away. Tune completed 20 of his 31 passes in three quarters of work. UConn's Steven Krajewski had a 34-yard touchdown pass to Kevens Clercius before leaving the game in the second quarter with an injury. He was replaced by Micah Leon, who completed 10 of 13 passes for 62 yards for the Huskies (1-11). Leon left with a leg injury with 2 minutes left and was replaced by Jacob Drenn, a freshman walk-on and the fifth UConn quarterback to see action this season UConn has lost 14 consecutive games against FBS opponents. - Houston/AP College Football

rSr/2023

QB Clayton Tune, Houston
News Source: Houston/AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

11/19/21 - Clayton Tune, rSr/2023, Houston + More +

Clayton Tune threw for 264 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score as No. 17 Houston extended its winning streak to 10 games with a 31-13 victory over Memphis on Friday night. Tune tossed a 19-yard touchdown pass to Nathaniel Dell in the second quarter but was picked off twice, the first snapping a streak of 192 attempts without an interception. The QB also rushed for 59 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown as the Cougars (10-1, 8-0 American Athletic Conference) built a 21-3 lead at halftime. "We just hammer through whatever adversity we are faced with," Tune said. "Whatever challenges it is for that week, we keep hammering and playing. Don't let outside noise and distractions get in the way of what we are trying to do. It just speaks to the character of this team and what we know we can do." Ta'Zhawn Henry rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown and Alton McCaskill rushed for 58 yards and a touchdown.

Dell caught seven passes for 100 yards and Jeremy Singleton finished with five catches for 80 yards. Houston gained 461 yards and was 8 of 15 on third downs. Houston went undefeated in conference play for the second time in school history, matching the 2011 team. "We are a good team," Houston coach Dana Holgorsen said. "We finished the American 8-0. We've won 10 in a row. It's hard to win in college football. It's hard to win every week...I'm very proud of this football team." - Houston/AP College Football

rSr/2023

QB Clayton Tune, Houston
News Source: Houston/AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

11/15/21 - Donovan Smith, rSr/2025, Houston + More +

NOV 15 BIG 12 NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK: Donovan Smith, TTU, QB, Fr.,...In his first career start, Smith completed 25-of-32 passes for 322 yards and three touchdowns in Tech's win over ISU. He became just the seventh freshman in the Big 12 era to start at quarterback for the Red Raiders. Of those seven freshmen, Smith was the fifth to make his first career start against a Big 12 foe as the Red Raiders are now 4-1 in those games. His performance marked the second-most passing yards by a Red Raider freshman making his starting debut during the Big 12 era as he trailed only Davis Webb's 415 yards and three touchdowns from the 2013 victory over Iowa State. In addition to his success in the passing game, Smith rushed for 50 yards to give him 372 yards of total offense on the day. - Big 12 Football

rSr/2025

QB Donovan Smith, Houston
News Source: Big 12 Football
Share/Comment: Here

11/08/21 - Clayton Tune, rSr/2023, Houston + More +

NOV 8 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Clayton Tune, Jr., QB, Houston,...Tune completed 21 of 26 passes (80.7%) for 385 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 19 Houston in a 54-42 win at South Florida, keeping the Cougars atop the American Athletic Conference standings with two league games remaining. Tune connected on 16 of his last 17 passes, engineering an offense that finished with a season-high 646 yards without any turnovers. Tune, who registered his second consecutive game with 300 passing yards, has thrown 133 consecutive passes without an interception. - American Athletic Conference Football

rSr/2023

QB Clayton Tune, Houston
News Source: American Athletic Conference Football
Share/Comment: Here

11/07/21 - Clayton Tune, rSr/2023, Houston + More +

Clayton Tune was 21 of 26 for 385 yards and three touchdowns, Ta'Zhawn Henry had a 97-yard TD run and No. 20 Houston held off an upset bid by South Florida in a 54-42 victory Saturday night. Henry had 130 yards on 10 carries, and Alton McCaskill picked up 125 yards on 22 attempts. Nathaniel Dell made eight catches for 164 yards and a score. "I feel like everyone has raised their level," Tune said. "We're starting to click. It's been fun." McCaskill got his third rushing TD from 8 yards out to make it 54-42 with 2:27 to play. The Cougars (8-1, 6-0 American Athletic Conference) have won eight in a row for the first time since 2016.

Houston star defensive back and kick returner Marcus Jones was shaken up midway through the third but returned later in the quarter. He wasn't on the field for part of the fourth period. There was no update postgame on Jones' injury. Brian Battie had two 100-yard kickoff returns for touchdowns and a 29-yard TD run to help South Florida (2-7, 1-4) take a 28-26 halftime lead. Battie, who has three 100-yard kickoff returns this year, brought back the opening kick for a score and went the distance again with 2:16 left in the second quarter. "It's one of the best feelings ever," Battie said of his score 13 seconds into the game. Houston coach Dana Holgorsen called the game "nuts, on all accounts." "I don't want to sit here and act like I'm mad because we just won our eighth game in a row and won a conference game on the road," Holgorsen said. "There's a lot of things that we're going to have to clean up. At the end of the day, the difference was Clayton Tune." - Houston/AP College Football

rSr/2023

QB Clayton Tune, Houston
News Source: Houston/AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

11/02/21 - Marcus Jones, rSr/2022, Houston + More +

NOV 1 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Marcus Jones, Sr., CB, Houston,...Jones picked up his fourth special teams touchdown of the season, and the ninth of his career, in Houston's 44-37 win against No. 19/16 SMU. Jones delivered the win with a 100-yard kickoff return with 17 seconds leftin regulation moments after SMU had hit the tying field goal. He finished the game with 145 yards on three kickoff returns and 32 yards on a pair of punt returns and had six tackles, a tackle for loss and an interception on defense. Jones is tied for the national lead in both kickoff return touchdowns (two) and punt return touchdowns (two) in 2021. - American Athletic Conference Football

rSr/2022

CB Marcus Jones, Houston
News Source: American Athletic Conference Football
Share/Comment: Here

11/02/21 - Malik Fleming, rSr/2024, Houston + More +

NOV 1 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Malik Fleming, So., CB, East Carolina,...Fleming had the pivotal defensive play in East Carolina's 29-14 win against South Florida Thursday with a 31-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter. That play came with the Pirates trailing 14-13 and gave East Carolina a lead it would not relinquish. Fleming, who finished with three tackles and a pass breakup against the Bulls, ranks sixth in The American with 1.13 passes defended per game. - American Athletic Conference Football

rSr/2024

FS Malik Fleming, Houston
News Source: American Athletic Conference Football
Share/Comment: Here

11/02/21 - Nathaniel Dell, rJr/2023, Houston + More +

NOV 1 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Nathaniel Dell, So., WR, Houston,...Dell led Houston to a 44-37 win against previously unbeaten SMU, which was ranked No. 19 and No. 16 in last week's national polls. Dell had nine receptions for 165 yards and three touchdowns (7, 48, 17), becoming the first Cougar player with three touchdown catches since the 2018 season. Two of Dell's three touchdown catches gave Houston a lead, while he also had a key 52-yard reception to set up a Cougar field goal. - American Athletic Conference Football

rJr/2023

WR Nathaniel Dell, Houston
News Source: American Athletic Conference Football
Share/Comment: Here

11/02/21 - Bryan Massey, rSr/2025, Houston + More +

NOV 1 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE HONOR ROLL: Bryan Massey, So., S, SMU,...Had five tackles, a pass breakup and a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in a 44-37 loss at Houston. - American Athletic Conference Football

rSr/2025

FS Bryan Massey, Houston
News Source: American Athletic Conference Football
Share/Comment: Here

10/31/21 - Marcus Jones, rSr/2022, Houston + More +

Marcus Jones returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown with 17 seconds remaining to give Houston a 44-37 victory over No. 19 SMU on Saturday night, extending the Cougars' winning streak to seven games. After the Mustangs (7-1, 3-1 American Athletic) tied it at 37 on Blake Mazza's 45-yard field goal with 30 seconds left, Jones took the kickoff at the goal line and broke several tackles before breaking loose for the Cougars (7-1, 5-0). "I didn't think he was going to kick it to me at first," Jones said. "Whenever I saw him kick it, I was going to return it...I saw the seam and I was like, ‘I got to hit it.'" Jones, who also had an interception, has four special teams' touchdowns this season, which leads the nation. "I keep saying he's the best returner in the country, which he is," Houston coach Dana Holgorsen said. "I think he's getting to the point where I might say he's the best returner ever. … The things he does are unbelievable, and for him to do it in both punt and kick, it's unbelievable." SMU coach Sonny Dykes said the Mustangs' uncertainty on the preceding fourth-and-2 play from the Houston 28 before deciding to kick the field goal played a large role in the kickoff return because they called timeout earlier then they would have wanted. "Had I known we were going to kick the field goal, for sure, I would have let it run down, and we would have just squibbed it," Dykes said. - Houston/AP College Football

rSr/2022

CB Marcus Jones, Houston
News Source: Houston/AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

10/26/21 - Marcus Jones, rSr/2022, Houston + More +

OCT 25 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Marcus Jones, Sr., CB, Houston,...Jones had 132 all-purpose yards as he finished with 121 yards on kickoff returns and 11 on punt returns in Houston's 31-24 overtime win against East Carolina. Jones scored his third special teams touchdown of the season on a 98-yard kickoff return in the first quarter that erased the Pirates' only lead of the game. Jones also finished with a career-high eight tackles as part of a Houston defense that forced three turnovers. - American Athletic Conference Football

rSr/2022

CB Marcus Jones, Houston
News Source: American Athletic Conference Football
Share/Comment: Here

10/26/21 - Donavan Mutin, rSr/2023, Houston + More +

OCT 25 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Donavan Mutin, Jr., LB, Houston,...Mutin had a game-high nine tackles, including a tackle for loss and two forced fumbles to lead Houston to a 31-24 overtime win against East Carolina. Mutin's second forced fumble came on the second play of East Carolina's overtime possession, allowing the Cougars to recover the ball and end the game. He led a Cougar defense that limited the Pirates to 1-for-12 efficiency on third down, while he had a hand in two of Houston's three takeaways. - American Athletic Conference Football

rSr/2023