Houston Has a Star That Nobody Is Talking About Enough
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Houston football is coming off an impressive 10-3 season, finishing fourth in the Big 12 Conference in head coach Willie Fritz's second season with the Cougars.
A big reason for Houston's success was the use of the transfer portal, and that aggressiveness in the offseason paved the way for a successful season in 2025.
While transfer quarterback Conner Weigman will get most of the credit for Houston's complete turnaround, senior wide receiver Amare Thomas was a huge part of the success as well.
Why AmareThomas Will Turn Heads In 2026
The Cougars dominant 2025 season was fueled by an ultra-talented transfer portal class, led by Weigman.
With Weigman passing for an impressive 2,705 yards and 25 touchdowns in his junior season, that performance allowed wide receivers like Thomas to really have a breakout season.
Before Houston, Thomas started gaining attention from major universities all over the country because of his first two collegiate seasons at UAB.
Throughout his first two years, he totaled 115 catches for 1,107 yards and 11 touchdowns, which made him a perfect candidate for Houston.
The Cougars took a chance on Thomas, brining him into one of the best conferences in all of college football, and it is now safe to say that the move paid off.
In 2025, Thomas emerged as the top wide receiver after senior wide receiver Stephen Johnson suffered a season-ending injury.
He burst onto the scene with an incredible season, tallying 67 catches for 966 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Thomas is an absolute problem with the ball in his hands, and he averaged 14.4 yards per reception.
Healso finished No. 2 in the Big 12 in receiving yards and touchdowns, and he did all of this while having opposing defenses solely focus on him.
Now, with sophomore wide receiver Koby Young with a full year of experience under his belt, along with Trent Walker, a senior transfer from Oregon State who totaled 149 catches for 1,724 yards over the past two seasons, Thomas will now have a lot more room to work with so many other chunk-play threats on the field.
Even with all the damage Thomas has done in his three-year career, still no one is talking about him.
Houston football has one of the best receivers in the Big 12 Conference in Thomas, and he will surprise a lot of people after he makes a name for himself in 2026.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/houston as Houston Has a Star That Nobody Is Talking About Enough.
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