Houston's linebacker room in 2026 is stacked with talent.
This past offseason helped build off of an already great defense from 2025. Many of the positions on the defense had seniors who were graduating or players who wanted to transfer out of Houston to get a chance elsewhere.
Latreveon McCutchin is one of the players who stayed with Houston after their 2025 campaign and looks to be one of the best JACK's in the Cougar defense. Last year he had some amazing production and had an impact against some major teams like UCF and Oklahoma State .
In 2026, the linebacjer room hasn't had a lot of movement, with Grayson Boeker and Sheldon Rice still developing while Brandon Mack II remains to be another one of Houston's big playmakers. Because of the little to no movement in the JACK room, what makes McCutchin stand out?
Nov 23, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars linebacker Latreveon McCutchin (10) reacts after a defensive play during the fourth quarter against the Baylor Bears at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Coming out of Lyndon Baines Johnson Early College High School as a three star prospect, McCutchin committed to Houston in 2022 and has played for Houston since. He is currently a senior this year, and will have spent his entire college football career at Houston.
At the beginning of his career with Houston, McCutchin did not see much play on the defensive side of the ball. Instead of defense, McCutchin would play on the special teams side of the football field, spending two of his years at Houston going back and forth between defense and special teams.
In his junior season, things changed drastically as he was put to work in Houston's defense permanently. He became a JACK and started four games for the Cougars, gaining some experience in the defense as he went through the season.
McCutchin had some amazing production last year and even hit some pretty good achievements. His 86.5 PFF coverage grade led the Cougars last season and he had two interceptions on the year, which was the second most on the team in 2025.
McCutchin is a surprise factor on the field because of the position he plays. As a JACK, you're expected to play as an outside linebacker and a defensive end, going back and forth between the two roles depending on what the offense does.
This back and forth between the two playstyles makes McCutchin unpredictable, as he can protect against short passes and any runs the offense may want to do. His knowledge and experience will also help against reading the opposing offense, and that alone could be a key to winning games for Houston.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/houston as Why Latreveon McCutchin Is A Wild Card For the Houston Defense .
