There are a lot of takeaways from Houston’s opening win over Oregon State, but the contributions from the first-year portal guys are right at the top.
On the defensive side of the ball, Javion White may have been UH’s best player. His aggressive play and willingness to punch above his weight showed itself all game. White was used in the pass rush and to set the edge to stop the run. He recorded the first two sacks of his career against Oregon State.
“I knew when I got here I was going to be pass rushing a lot,” White said. “This whole offseason I’ve just been working my blitz mechanics and footwork.”
Linebacker Jaden Yates made a big impact in the run game, diagnosing and moving downhill, often finding himself in the backfield. He recorded the highest run-defense grade of his career per PFF: 84.2. Yates finished the game with a team-leading 8 tackles.
Ashton Porter played a career-high 64 snaps and recorded a sack in his Houston debut. Porter’s work in the run game helped free Yates, White, and others to make plays. I’d expect him to continue to generate pressure on the passer.
On the outside, Jalen Mayo showed that the “jump” in competition isn’t an issue. He played aggressively on the outside against underneath throws and helped in the run game. Mayo was credited with one pass breakup, but appeared to be around the ball even more than that. He had four solo tackles.
The offense had a productive day across the board, and Makhi Hughes led the way on the ground. He shook off his first career fumble and finished just short of 100 yards in his debut. He was being used late in the game to work the clock and break down the defense, but four fourth-quarter offensive penalties threw them off schedule.
Patrick Overmyer set his career high with 84 receiving yards in his debut while tying his career highs in targets (8) and receptions (6). Four of his six catches went for first downs, and he finished with 40 yards after the catch. Something to watch going forward, and a difference in style between him and Tanner Koziol: Overmyer averages 5.6 YAC/reception in his career. Koziol averaged 3.5.
The offensive line transfers had a very good debut, but right tackle Drew Terrill only played 17 snaps due to injury. Anthony Boswell and Shadre Hurst combined to play 151 snaps, and neither gave up a pressure. Each finished with pass-blocking grades over 80.
Terrill’s health will be something to monitor, but the offensive line keeping Weigman mostly clean and paving the way for over 200 rushing yards in their debut is a great sign going forward.
