Roster underdogs are players who are on the outside looking in to make the Houston Texans 53 man roster come August. Some of the players will be fairly familiar names, but they are currently facing an uphill battle to make the team. As with last year, there will be players who surprise and players who fizzle out.
2025 Underdogs:
- OC Eli Cox
- RB Dare Ogumbowale
- DE Dylan Horton
- CB Alijah Huzzie
- OT LaDarius Henderson
- TE Luke Lachey
With that, let’s get into who are several of the key underdogs vying for the last few spots heading into Training Camp this July.
Alijah Huzzie, CB
Huzzie didn’t make the initial 53-man roster
but is projected to make the team this in the first Rosterology of the offseason. He featured in two games closer to the end of the season when injuries piled up in the secondary. He played almost exclusively at slot corner in week 18 and performed extremely well in coverage.
Entering his second year, he will compete with rookie Kamari Ramsey for the backup nickel role. Ideally, Ramsey will slot in behind Reed Blankenship and Huzzie can play the nickel. A slow but promising start to his rookie season should give him momentum heading into training camp to earn a roster spot in an extremely competitive defensive back room.
Evan Brown, OC
It’s hard to tell whether Brown is slated to be the starter at center or even make the roster. Twitter casts Brown anywhere between the first and third team as the Texans shuffle and mix offensive lineman around. Houston signed Brown this offseason, which resulted in an overwhelming barrage of disapproval in what would go on to be coined as “Browngate”. Who knew a one-year, $3.5M signing could unearth such negative discourse.
Brown has rotated in with the starting offensive line at times… but has also been seen with the third string. Primarily a center, Brown has to compete with the rookies Keyland Rutledge and Febechi Nwaiwu for a role on the offense. Then, he must unseat starters from last year’s offensive line in Jake Andrews and Jarrett Patterson.
It’s murky waters for Brown and an uphill climb to say the least. For now, he’s on the outside-looking-in, but it is quite promising that he’s already getting first team reps in minicamp.
Jamal Hill, LB
Hill could be seen practicing with a club on his left hand through OTAs. That tells you how serious his circumstances are heading into training camp. Hill made the initial 53-man roster last year, but played sparingly. Now, Houston has added two rookies in Wade Woodaz and Aiden Fisher, plus veterans Marte Mapu and Jake Hummel. Even with the injury to E.J. Speed, Hill sits as the sixth linebacker on the roster. That’s a precarious position for the third year linebacker even after a productive year on special teams. Hopefully his hand will heal in time for training camp.
Justin Watson, WR
Easily the most overlooked player on the roster, Watson could have the biggest impact on the team out of the group. But first, he must make the team. The veteran is on the outside looking in as the only non-draft pick or UDFA on the roster. The six players before him were all selected by the Texans and have significant upside compared to the 31 year old. Watson barely played in 2025 due to injury. He was good for one or two catches in Kansas City’s offense and was a safety blanket for Patrick Mahomes.
In Houston, he’s seen as the wiley veteran in the locker room and is well-respected by the players. Outside of age, Watson faces a struggle to find a role in this offense. Watson will have to either unseat a veteran such as Xavier Hutchinson, convince the team they should part with the rookie Bond, or pull a roster spot from a different position group altogether to wedge his way onto the roster as WR7.
Kyonte Hamilton, DT
Currently slated as the sixth defensive tackle on the roster, Kyonte Hamilton hopes to bounce back from a rookie season that never started. He was injured in late July and placed on season-ending Injured Reserve after being drafted in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Hamilton fits the mold of what head coach DeMeco Ryans is looking for in a DT. He’s quick, penetrates off the snap, and uses his leverage to gain positioning in the run game. While the front-end of this group is extremely stout with Sheldon Rankins, Tommy Togiai, and rookie Kayden McDonald, the last few spots on the defensive line are completely up for grabs. Hamilton will have to earn his way onto the roster with stellar play in training camp, but he has the right attributes to make a late push and surprise fans.
