First in a position-by-position series looking at the 2016 Houston Cougars:
• Who’s back: Greg Ward Jr., Kyle Postma, Bear Fenimore.
• Who’s gone: Adam Schulz.
• Newcomers: Kyle Allen (transfer), Bowman Sells (mid-year enrollee), D’Eriq King (commit).
• What to expect: Ward is likely to be on early season Heisman Trophy watch lists, especially if the Cougars begin as a top-10 team and gain steam with a win over Oklahoma in the opener. The dual-threat senior-to-be is coming off a breakout season – he was the only player in the nation to rush for at least 1,000 yards and pass for at least 2,500 yards – and is 19-2 as UH’s starter in one-plus seasons. Postma solidified his spot as the primary back, rescuing the Cougars from a 20-point, fourth-quarter deficit against Memphis and extending a late drive with a pair crucial third-down runs in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl win over Florida State. Allen, the former Texas A&M starter, must sit out next season because of NCAA transfer rules and is expected to be the frontrunner for the job in 2017. As a mid-year enrollee Sells (Lucas Lovejoy) will get some important work with the team during spring practice but is most likely to redshirt next season. The same goes for King, a highly touted athlete from Manvel.
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