Lamar quarterback set for transition to UH

As a junior in high school, Lamar quarterback Bram Kohlhausen was one of the most sought-after recruits in the Houston area. Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, UCLA and Utah were just some of the schools vying for his talents.

But five months prior to the start of his senior season, he made the decision that he would make the transition from a Lamar Redskin to a UH Cougar after graduation.

“I wanted to stay in town where my parents can watch me,” Kohlhausen said. “This is where I grew up, where I played high school. I like the idea of being the local kid.”

Another deciding factor for him was two other Redskins making the short journey from Westheimer to Cullen. Linebacker Earl Foster and offensive lineman Kourtland Akins and Kohlhausen all went to head coach Kevin Sumlin’s office together to commit to UH.

Offensive coordinator Jason Phillips and co-offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury were the main recruiters of Kohlhausen. He said his relationship with the coaches made picking UH an easy choice.

Kohlhausen was ranked as one of the top six quarterbacks in the state by the Houston Chronicle.

In three seasons as the starter Kohlahusen had 3,183 passing yards and 45 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. In his senior campaign he helped lead Lamar to a playoff berth, and a perfect 7-0 record in District 20-5A to capture the district crown.

Gaining comfort essential

The change from high school to college is not an easy one, but Lamar head coach Tom Nolen said he feels Kohlhausen has a key attribute that will allow him to be successful.

“So much of everything is confidence,” Nolen said. “The speed will be faster but with learning the system, and getting your confidence up that you can do it is what it takes.

“He’s a pretty confident kid. He won’t have any trouble making the adjustment.”

The Redskins’ offense is considered to be traditional, but Tom Nolen said Kohlhausen is plenty capable of adapting to a new offense, and credited him for his ability to improvise.

“His biggest strength is that he makes plays,” Nolen said. “He’s got a good arm, and when things break down, he can still make a play. Everything doesn’t have to be exactly like it’s drawn up.”

“I’m really excited to get to throw the ball more,” he said. “In high school we threw it like 10 times a game. It got pretty brutal. I like the opening up of the passing game at UH, the trick plays and the new style of offense.”

Kohlhausen may have to wait his turn before he sees action on the field, but the opportunity to work with Case Keenum will provide him a solid foundation of knowledge of the elaborate UH offense.

“I get to learn from probably one of the best ever in college football quarterback-wise,” Kohlhausen said. “I met David Piland and Case on my official visit and they seemed like cool guys.

“I’m going to find out pretty soon what the offense is really like with those two guys helping me out.”