New head coach Kevin Sumlin walked into a good situation with the Cougars.

Houston returned 17 starters from a team that finished 8-5 and went to the Texas Bowl.

The Cougars are spending the spring learning the spread offense being installed by new coordinator Dana Holgorsen, who came from Texas Tech.

While running back Anthony Alridge and receivers Donnie Avery and Jeron Harvey are gone, quarterback Case Keenum is back and looks like a perfect fit for the spread offense because of his accuracy (68.5 percent completion rate).

Keenum battled Blake Joseph for the starting job last year. While Sumlin said all jobs are open, the guess is that Keenum will solidify his spot.

Sumlin and Holgorsen also are looking to see which receivers step up to fill the huge voids. L.J. Castile, a converted quarterback, is one intriguing possibility.

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