Football

The Cougars add four players behind center for depth

Last season Deontay Greenberry was the Cougars' first ever five star recruit. | File photo/The Daily Cougar

Last season Deontay Greenberry was the Cougars’ first ever five star recruit. | File photo/The Daily Cougar

In an effort to re-evaluate the quarterback position and explore different options, the Cougars picked up four quarterbacks on National Signing Day.

Junior quarterback David Piland struggled at times last season and was benched for the Cougars’ final two games. He will stay at UH and attempt to win his job back in the spring.

Whoever performs best in the spring will receive the top spot on the Cougars’ depth chart, head coach Tony Levine said.

“We’ll go into spring, like we did last year, with every position on the football team being open,” Levine said. “We’ll see how it plays out through spring. I anticipate putting out a two-deep after the Spring and regardless of position, including quarterback, that could change up to opening day.”

Billy Cosh comes from Butler Community College in Kansas where, in one season, he led the Grizzlies to the National Junior College Athletic Association championship game. Cosh was ranked a three-star quarterback by ESPN after throwing for 2,856 yards and 25 touchdowns with nine interceptions last season for Butler.

Originally from Maryland, Cosh signed with Kansas State out of high school. After being redshirted for a year, Cosh transferred to James Madison University where he served as back-up quarterback for one season before switching to Butler.

Another ESPN three-star quarterback recruit, D’Juan Hines is from Dekaney High School in Spring. The 6 foot 2 inch quarterback is also ranked as the number 23 quarterback nationally by ESPN. During his senior year, Hines threw for 1,269 yards and scored six rushing touchdowns.

Hines will not be the only Cougar quarterback new to college next season.

Fresh off a state title, John O’Korn comes to Houston from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where he attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School. Last season, O’Korn complied 2,552 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and only four interceptions. The state title MVP also broke his high school’s single game and season records for passing yards and passing touchdowns. O’Korn is ranked as the number 38 quarterback nationally by ESPN.

Greg Ward Jr. of John Tyler High School in Tyler has not always been a quarterback. During his sophomore year, Ward captured 53 receptions, 667 yards and eight touchdowns as a wide receiver. As a quarterback, Ward led Texas’ Class 4A with 39 touchdowns and 4,202 passing yards. He is ranked as the number three quarterback in Texas by Dave Campbell and is another ESPN three-star recruit.

The Cougars have placed an emphasis on evaluating their talent so the best player gets on the field.

“(There’s) an emphasis on assessing our personnel — trying to figure out who we are, what our strengths are and what we can and can’t do,” said offensive coordinator Doug Meacham.

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