Makhi Hughes holds the RB · Starter spot in Houston Cougars’s running back room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Makhi Hughes is a running back from Birmingham, Alabama who attended Huffman High School as a three-star prospect. He began his college career at Tulane (2022-24) before spending the 2025 season at Oregon. At Tulane, Hughes earned Freshman All-American honors in 2023 and was a two-time All-AAC First-Team selection. In 2023, he rushed for 1,378 yards and seven touchdowns. During his 2024 campaign, Hughes accumulated 1,401 rushing yards—the fourth-most in a single season in Tulane history—and ranked second in the American and 10th nationally. He was named 2024 American Conference Rookie of the Year and led Tulane to conference championship games in both 2023 and 2024. Hughes transfers to Houston as a redshirt senior.

Tulane2022 – 2024

Oregon2025

Houston2026 — present