John Harris and Marc Vandermeer are live on 95.7 The Fan at 10am and 6pm every day during training camp. Listen and subscribe to Texans All-Access on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
The three hardest days of training camp, in my humble opinion, concluded on Wednesday morning at the Houston Methodist Training Center. In the searing heat of a Houston summer, the Texans battled throughout another long practice and I left with plenty of notes after the workout. I call them Harris Hits, so let's get to it right here.
The one-on-ones were taking place all over the field as I left my radio perch today. I had plans of seeing the OL/DL and got plenty of those, but I saw a few WR/DB & TE/S one-on-ones on my way to watching the linemen.
Saw WR Xavier Hutchinson make a wonderful deep catch on a slot fade on a gem of a throw from QB C.J. Stroud.
Then, on the near field, TE Marlin Klein made one heck of a catch on a seam route up the field. Klein had another solid day catching the football in one-on-ones and team drills.
Oh, TE Dalton Schultz lost a DB, may have been a linebacker, in his first rep of one-on-ones. Completely shook the defender like magic. I missed the defensive player's number, but my goodness, said defender got cooked by the wily veteran Schultz.
LB Marte Mapu can run step for step with any RB or TE in this camp and he did that to keep a pass out of the hands of RB David Montgomery on their first rep against one another.
Then, I made it to the OL/DL and the first battle that I saw was rookie G Febechi Nwaiwu and fellow rookie DT Kayden McDonald. Now, keep in mind, it's one rep and out during this drill. But, this one went the distance with two reps. On the first rep, Nwaiwu was able to stay anchored in the turf and McDonald couldn't get any closer to the QB. So, McDonald was a little peeved and I heard a coach ask Kayden if he wanted to go again. "YES!" said Kayden, so the two teed it up for a second rep. McDonald tried to power through Nwaiwu again and it wasn't until he used his hands late in the rep that he was finally able to get away from the Texans rookie.
Hands. Hands. Hands. Consistent theme today. The young defensive linemen struggled against the OL today because they couldn't get their hands involved the way that Rod Wright and Frank Okam would like, honestly.
G Wyatt Teller is strong as an ox and any defenders that want to feel his wrath should attempt to bull rush him. He ate those powerful bull rushers up all day long as he anchored in the turf and locked up linemen throughout the day. He snatched the DL into his body and controlled him from that point; he did that all day in the one-on-one period.
I've seen T Blake Fisher have really good reps in the one-on-one sessions. Like, REALLY good. I wrote in my book "Good control, really strong rep" after his first rep on the right side. That's the one thing that looks different since his rookie year - he's controlled and poised and doesn't panic when the rusher executes his pass rush plan.
I mentioned earlier hand usage and it's amazing to watch younger DL vs. veteran DL. The youngsters really had issues with hand placement or even hand usage, but the vets, say a guy like DT Tommy Togiai, throw hands immediately upon contact. Togiai did that in his first rep perfectly. He didn't just try to power through a guard or run right down the guard's center, but Togiai got on the outside half, then chopped/ripped the outside to get past on the edge.
When the Texans engaged in their first team period, the first words that came to mind were "Oh Jayden, I'm sorry". The first play of the series was a run play away from where WR Jayden Higgins was originally aligned. The "I'm sorry" part came about because Jayden was responsible for blocking a twitched-up DE Will Anderson Jr. The Texans star knifed inside and ran down the play for a TFL and there wasn't much poor Higgins could do about it.
Two plays later, well, it was one of my favorite plays of the day. S Jalen Pitre blitzed off the defense's left edge as the Texans had a run called into that side of the field. T Trent Brown pulled out on the play, saw Pitre blitzing and threw his body into Pitre knocking the former Baylor star two to three yards out of the play. RB Woody Marks then cut inside that block for chunk run yardage. OL coach Cole Popovich LOVED it. Not sure if it was Trent's block or just the result, but he was quite happy with something his offense did on that play.
I've never questioned Woody Marks' guts, effort or chutzpah and I would never. He is one of the toughest dudes I studied in the past five years in the Draft. So, I shouldn't have been surprised by what happened on the next play after his fun. DE Jadeveon Clowney rushed off the left edge and it looked like he had a run to the QB. But, Marks threw his 5-10, 208 lb. body into the 6-5, 266 lb. Clowney with all he had. It was a physical mismatch, but Marks did just enough to allow his QB to find an open receiver.
Clowney was slowed down on that play, but I'm telling you right now, he was superb on Wednesday's practice. There was a three play sequence in the second team drill period in which he either would've had a sack, a pressure or created a bad throw. And, he did it rushing off the edge with three different pass rush moves. He certainly didn't look like a 33-year old out on the field.
A few plays into the second team period, QB Davis Mills booted right and found WR Lewis Bond out in the flat for another completion. Bond has been more than noticeable. He's made a ton of catches and is as reliable as any young WR could be at this point in training camp. The catch he made earlier in the week when he essentially ripped the ball away from a DB for a first down catch was just ridiculous. He beat a DB in one-on-ones on Tuesday as C.J. Stroud just put one in the bucket for a TD. He's been fantastic.
During that same team period, I could hear someone on that side of the field encouraging Kayden McDonald to do what he does best - make plays. The youngster responded in a hurry on back-to-back plays. On the first play, he slid out away from the block and got upfield quickly, wrapping up the RB for no gain. Then, on the very next play, he fought through the center's block, shedding him at the LOS, shot upfield and finished with a TFL. When he came back to the sideline, there were a few vets waiting to congratulate him and encourage him yet again. He's going to be such a problem against the run, in particular.
A few plays later, Clowney and DL Logan Hall ran roughshod over the right side of the OL to force a throwaway. Can you imagine how offenses must feel when Will/Danielle go out and these two manimals (Hall and Clowney), now fresh, come in off the sideline? My god.
The next play, Hall stuffed a zone run, just before WR Justin Watson made a catch on a sprint out from Davis Mills.
One of the aspects that makes Jalen Pitre such a great blitzer from the nickel is his ability to time up the snap count and the snap of the football. He anticipates the ball being snapped so well that he can hit the line of scrimmage with a ton of speed and momentum just as the ball is snapped. He did that perfectly to come up with a TFL on the other side of the field during the second team drill.
Then, the offense ran a play AT Will Anderson Jr. and that didn't work. The Terminator slipped a pulling OL and wrapped up the back for a TFL.
Stroud had to escape the pocket as the pressure got into his face nearly immediately on the final play of the period. That second team period was not one the offense will want to remember at all. But, don't you worry, the offense had its moments after that.
Then, QB Graham Mertz took over and immediately connected with rookie Marlin Klein for a big gain. The 6-6 rookie went up high to snatch the rock out of the air, securing it before hitting the ground.
Of course, it wouldn't be a 2026 Training Camp practice if CB Collin Wright didn't come up with another pass breakup. In fact, he had two of them over the remainder of practice.
Then, it was time for the third team period and that was a situational drill - the two minute drill. I'll say this before diving into the minutia of the drive - C.J. Stroud was the best I've seen him at any of his previous training camp sessions in this situation. He was locked in and I used the words "carve up" to describe what he did to the defense in that situation.
On the first play, he threw a fastball to Jayden Higgins on the sideline, a completion to get the drive going. After what would've been a sack by Will Anderson Jr. on the next play, he then made another exquisite throw down the field. WR Josh Kelly ran a seam route and had a step on defenders. Stroud dropped the ball out of the sky into Kelly's arms deep down the field, but S Calen Bullock "hawked" it away at the last moment. Bullock is the only player in this, or any other, camp that could've made that play. Regardless, it was as beautiful a touch throw as Stroud has made, incompletion be damned.
But, he saved his best for the next throw. On the third down play, he was surrounded by white shirted defenders and he couldn't step into his throw. So, essentially flat footed, he RIPPED a fastball to Higgins in the middle of the field for a first down. STUPID GOOD THROW! I can promise you that he didn't, or couldn't, attempt that throw last year. My goodness, I can still see that one in front of me. Then, he hit Xavier Hutchinson for another completion with 17 seconds remaining.
With 17 seconds remaining and the defense trying to prevent the offense from getting a more advantageous field goal position, Stroud threw a backshoulder gem to TE Foster Moreau on the far sideline. BRILLIANT. After David Montgomery rammed one into the middle of the line to kill time, K Ka'imi Fairbairn drilled one from 40 yards out for the game winning field goal.
That was Stroud at his finest. Clutch. Tough. Accurate. The true gamer led the offense against the best defense in football and he just lit them up.
Davis Mills then led the offense back down the field and set up Fairbairn for a 53-yard attempt which the Texans kicker knocked home easily, yet again.
Loved seeing WR Daniel Sobkowicz make a key catch on the near sideline to keep that drive alive just prior to Fairbairn's field goal.
The no doubt #1 Catch of the Day was made by Josh Kelly. He and Lewis Bond have been feisty against the defense throughout the start of training camp. But, late in practice, Kelly ran another interior route down the field when Graham Mertz launched one in his direction. Kelly went up with one hand and hauled it in. The crowd on hand sort of didn't know how to react, not understanding that he actually did catch the ball one handed. Once they realized it, a raucous ovation took place.
Then, Fairbairn struck again. Stroud completed a couple of passes before the clock indicated that it was time to try a field goal. From 63 yards out, Fairbairn punished the football and would've made it from 70 yards. GOOD.
But, he wasn't done. After a couple of Davis Mills completions, including a slant route to Kelly, Fairbairn trotted out to try from just past 60 yards again. GOOD! He was perfect on the day and there's a reason that he's one of the best kickers in this league.
Okay, a day off is definitely deserved by, and for, all in this building. Marc and I will still have Texans Training Camp Live tomorrow, but the Hits get a rest as the team has an off day on Thursday. See ya then, everyone!
Catch John Harris and Marc Vandermeer live on Texans Training Camp Live at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily throughout training camp. Subscribe to Texans All-Access on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode.
