11 Houston Cougars Earn All-Big 12 Conference Honors
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On Thursday morning, the Big 12 revealed its end-of-season awards for First Team, Second Team, and Honorable Mention selections. With a 9-3 season that shocked the entire conference, the No. 21 Houston Cougars took home a plethora of awards.
In total, there were 11 Cougars earned postseason honors. Three players earned Big 12 honors on offense, six were acknowledged on defense, and two players earned awards for their impact on special teams.
Houston's fast track to a successful season was caused by its impact in the transfer portal. Of the 11 Cougars that earned end-of-season honors, seven of them were earned by players in their first season at the University of Houston.
All-Big 12 First-Team Honors
Tight end Tanner Koziol and wide receiver Amare Thomas both took home First-Team All-Big 12 honors. Both pass-catchers were driving forces of Houston's offense this season, with Koziol totaling 65 catches for 651 yards and five touchdowns. Thomas also found success at all three levels of the field with 59 catches for 906 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Koziol was instrumental to Houston's upset win over No. 24 Arizona State with seven receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown. The transfer tight end led the entire country in receptions and placed third among tight ends in total receiving yards.
Thomas was the first Cougars' wide receiver to reach 900 receiving yards since Tank Dell in 2022. In his final season at UAB, the transfer wide receiver totaled 62 receptions for under 700 yards and eight touchdowns. In Slade Nagle's offensive system, Thomas came close to matching the production he posted across two seasons at UAB.
All-Big 12 Second-Team Honors
Carlos Allen Jr., Will James, Latrell McCutchin Sr., Eddie Walls III, and Jacob Garza took home All-Big 12 Second-Team Honors. It's no surprise that the Houston defense is well-represented in this year's conference awards with the turnaround that defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong orchestrated.
Allen Jr. has been one of the best defensive tackles in the Big 12 for two years now. In his senior campaign, the Atlanta, Georgia native totaled 67 tackles with one sack, one forced fumble, and two pass deflections.
Because of Allen's ability to disrupt the interior of opposing offensive lines, Eddie Walls found his way into the backfield frequently with 5.5 sacks, 9.5 tackles for a loss, and 69 total tackles.
Will James and Latrell McCutchin Sr. were one of the better cornerback duos in the Big 12. Together, the two secondary pieces totaled 78 tackles and six tackles for a loss. James also broke up six passes and came away with three interceptions.
Jacob Garza, the Cougars long snapper, also earned honors for his work alongside punter Liam Dougherty. Together, the duo helped Houston average just under 45 yards per punt.
All-Big 12 Honorable Mentions
Dean Connors, Wrook Brown, Jalen Garner, and Ethan Sanchez earned Honorable Mention All-Big 12 honors as well.
Connors, the transfer running back from Rice, was a large part of Houston's success on the ground totaling 851 rushing yards and five touchdowns. The senior also caught 31 passes for 242 yards and three touchdowns.
Brown and Garner were also major contributors for Austin Armstrong's defense. Brown was a rotation piece in the Cougars secondary with Marc Stampley and totaled 44 tackles, 6.0 tackles for a loss, and 2.5 sacks. The nickelback also came away with two interceptions. Garner was more a threat in pass-rushing as he tied Allen Jr. for a team-high 75 tackles with 3.5 tackles for a loss and 2.0 sacks.
Sanchez was arguably one of the most irreplaceable pieces of the Houston offense this season. The kicker made 20 of 25 field goals across 12 games including game-winners over Oregon State and Arizona. Sanchez also had a go-ahead field goal against UCF.
