After a rough season for the Houston offense, offensive line help was a transfer portal priority. With players moving on, the Cougars were left with just five offensive linemen with any game experience. The OL group returns 1399 snaps of college football experience (For reference, three of the offensive lineman transferring out had each logged over 1000 snaps in their careers).
Quarterback Conner Weigman is the headliner of the portal class, but UH signed four offensive linemen in quick succession to protect him. Willie Fritz and his coaching staff were able to add veterans with starting experience. Interesting note: all the offensive line additions played their high school ball in Texas like Weigman.
McKenzie Agnello
Agnello was a Second Team All-Mountain West performer in 2024, starting 12 games for New Mexico with 10 of those at center. He started two games at right tackle but seems better suited for the interior.
On film, the Copperas Cove native shows good lateral movement and athletic ability. The UNM scheme moved the pocket often and asked linemen to cover a lot of space. He showed the ability to get to the second level, getting his hands on linebackers in the run game. This season, Agnello did well in games against Auburn and Arizona, showing he is capable against P4 competition.
Matthew Wykoff
The former Aggie and Cal Golden Bear returns to Texas to continue his college career. Wykoff brings a different flavor than the other three signees. He has a bigger body, listed at 6’6” and 325 lbs, and his game is more about power.
He struggled a bit with quicker players due to his tendency to lean too much over at the waist. But when he plays with a good base and gets his hands on his opponent, he can drive defenders off the line. Size and experience are the most welcomed aspects of Wykoff’s arrival. To this point, he has played over 1600 snaps at the P4 level.
Dalton Merryman
Merryman is tall. Listed at 6’9”, he could be a depth addition for Kelvin Sampson. But more than just a big body, Merryman moves well on the edge. He has quick feet at the snap and cuts off a pass rusher’s initial moves. His height can also present some issues:
When facing shorter athletes, bending down to cut them off can be tough. Despite being the tallest, he is listed as the lightest at 305. Still, he is successful as a run blocker, utilizing his quickness at the snap and length to get in position.
Jason Brooks Jr
Despite missing 18 of his team’s last 19 games, Brooks still brings over 1000 snaps of P4 experience. He previously played at Vanderbilt and Oklahoma State. This is another interior lineman who showed good lateral agility at the snap.
Brooks can pull or get out in space on screens and find defenders at the second level. When engaged with a defender, he does a good job of setting his feet to anchor and using every bit of his arm length to maintain ground. The biggest concern with the Dobie alum is going to be form. Having not played since 2023, Spring ball will be important for getting him acclimated and in shape.
Now What?
OL coach Eman Naghavi returns two starters on the offensive line, David Nduwke and Demetrius Hunter. It’s too early to start talking about the starting lineup for the 2025 season, but I’m gonna do it anyway. With the portal additions, someone is going to be left out. The question is who that will be.
As things stand today, though that will likely change, I’d predict that Merryman and Nduwke are the starting tackles. I’d expect to start Agnello, likely at his natural position of center, but definitely somewhere on the interior. And that would leave some competition for two spots between Hunter, Wykoff, and Brooks.
Hunter is limited to playing center because of his size, but proved that he can handle the job. He played 730 snaps for the Coogs this season. Wykoff and Brooks also have experience and likely didn’t transfer to be depth players. This is a good problem for the program: there’s been far too little competition at starting spots in recent years. This will force the best players to compete for their spots.
The first week of the portal has been exciting for Coog fans. The staff is still working at a hectic pace to offer and bring in players for visits to continue to improve the roster. Here’s hoping next week will be as fruitful.
