The 2024 college football season presents an entirely new landscape. Texas is in the SEC. SMU is back in a power conference as ACC members. The College Football Playoff now includes 12 teams and an automatic bid for the best G5 team in the land. For most, the start of the season is in Week 1 on August 30, though SMU starts in Week 0 and TCU plays its first game on Aug. 29. 

To celebrate us making it through another off-season, we’re counting down the 50 most important players in Texas as we inch closer to kickoffs. This list isn’t necessarily about which players are the best in terms of NFL draft stock. It ranks players in order of importance to their team's success. 

NO. 34: HOUSTON CB LATRELL McCUTCHIN

The history: McCutchin achieved four-star status after leading Austin LBJ to a state championship game as a senior along with current Texas safety Andrew Mukuba. McCutchin. He hasn’t yet lived up to that billing, however. He began his college career at Oklahoma in 2021. He followed Lincoln Riley to USC in 2022. After playing in 25 games over two years without a start, McCutchin returned home to the Lone Star State ahead of the 2023 season. He did not compete last year after a second transfer. 

The skillset: The 6-1, 180-pound cornerback is gifted athletically. He was a two-way player in high school with receiver skills. McCutchin did suffer a season-ending injury to his knee early in his junior season after winning district Newcomer of the Year as a sophomore. He’s played a lot of college football, but not much as a starter. Houston brought him to Big 12 media days, so the new staff believes he’s ready for a breakout season. 

The impact: The late transfer of cornerback Isaiah Hamilton put even more pressure on McCutchin to become a lockdown cornerback for the Cougars. The two-time transfer was already expected to start, but not he’s tasked with covering the opponent’s best wide receiver. Any success Houston achieves in Year 1 of the Willie Fritz era will be a result of a stern defense. McCutchin evolving into a No. 1 corner would allow the Cougars more freedom defensively. There’s a reason NFL cornerbacks are so well paid.