OVERHAULED: Fritz's Cougars, With Shadre Hurst and Amare Thomas, COMMAND Preseason Attention

Houston Cougars stack national award watchlists as Willie Fritz’s roster overhaul pays off. With 14 Cougars—including Shadre Hurst, Makhi Hughes, Amare Thomas, and Walker Howard—earning spots on major preseason lists, is year three under Fritz the launchpad for a Big 12 breakthrough? Parker Ainsworth spotlights how Fritz’s culture-centric recruiting and strategic transfers are fueling Houston’s rising national profile and setting expectations sky-high. The show also dissects Big 12 chaos, from fan outrage over the Monster Energy patch—and pushback from doctors on youth marketing—to the troubling TCU hazing saga that leaves the Horned Frogs reeling. How do the Cougars avoid similar pitfalls? Parker Ainsworth credits Houston’s no-nonsense leadership and locker room discipline for keeping the Cougs “boring,” focused, and insulated from controversy. Can Houston translate this formula into wins and possibly a playoff sleeper run? Don’t miss this essential Cougars update. 00:00 Houston Football Award Watch — Parker Ainsworth breaks down Houston Cougars' presence on preseason award lists and the transformation of the roster under Willie Fritz. 14:16 Big 12 x Monster Deal — Parker Ainsworth analyzes the controversy over the Big 12-Monster Energy partnership, especially doctor-led pushback and fan reactions. 22:28 TCU Locker Room Chaos — Parker Ainsworth covers the unfolding TCU player incident, the fallout for the program, and contrasts Houston's stability under Fritz. Become an everydayer! Subscribe to the Everydayer or All-Access tier of Locked On Coogs for even MORE Coogs! https://lockedoncoogs.supercast.com/ Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! KALSHI For a limited time, Download the Kalshi app and use code [LOCKEDON] to get $10 when you trade $10. . The Game Don't miss this chance to celebrate 40 years of The Game with 40% off your entire order. Visit https://TheGameCaps.com and use promo code LOCKEDON at checkout. 5-Hour ENERGY Bring on the sweetness with Cotton Candy 5-hour ENERGY®️ shots—available online now at https:/5hourENERGY.com or on Amazon. Gametime Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply. FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COM to play Daily Dingers and make your free pick on who’s hitting a homer this MLB season. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.