The Houston Texans are back at training camp and inching closer to the start of the regular season. The pads are finally on, which means there’s still plenty of time before Week one, but a few players have already stood out.
WR Jayden Higgins
Higgins put together a solid rookie season, but he’s clearly put in the work this offseason to make that second-year leap, and it’s showing.
Quarterback C.J. Stroud and Higgins weren’t always on the same page last season, but it’s safe to say that narrative is being put to rest
with how locked in the two have looked throughout the early stages of training camp.
The Texans need someone to emerge alongside Nico Collins, and Higgins is looking more and more like that player.
OL Keylan Rutledge
Rutledge was selected by Houston in the first round of this year’s draft, so expectations are understandably high. So far, he’s lived up to the hype during the opening days of camp.
He brings a level of physicality and nastiness that this offense has desperately needed. If the offense can begin matching the intensity of the defense, the sky is truly the limit.
The former Georgia Tech standout has held his own against Houston’s elite defensive front and hasn’t been afraid to mix it up. Expect him to see plenty of snaps in 2026.
WR Lewis Bond
Bond is another rookie making noise. The sixth-round pick out of Boston College knows how difficult it is for a late-round selection to earn a roster spot, but he has continued to turn heads in a talented wide receiver room.
The Texans open the preseason on August 13, giving Bond another great opportunity to prove he belongs on an NFL roster. If he continues this trajectory, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him carve out a role during the regular season.
It’s still early, but the regular season will be here before you know it.
