3 Houston Cougars Earned Preseason Honors Ahead of The 2026 Season
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The Houston Cougars are just a little over a month away from taking on the Oregon State Beavers in the season opener on Saturday, Sep. 5, at 11 a.m., inside of TDECU Stadium.
With the season right around the corner, the Cougars will also begin their fall camp within the next couple of weeks, and Houston already has three players making a name for themselves in the offseason.
Senior wide receiver Amare Thomas, junior defensive back Will James and senior offensive lineman Shadre Hurst all received preseason honors earlier this week, and they will be a huge part of Houston’s success this year.
Thomas, James & Hurst All Earn Preseason Honors
A trio of Cougars earned preseason honors this week, and all three players will be leaders in their respective positional groups.
To start, Thomas was named as one of Houston’s Athlon Sports Preseason All-America Third-Team selections, and that is no surprise because of the monster season he posted in 2025.
He was also selected to the Preseason All-Big 12 First Team, and Thomas could very well be the best receiver in the conference.
After finishing second in the Big 12 in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, Thomas will be a player to watch for Houston all season long.
James was the next Cougar to earn preseason honors as he was also selected to the Preseason All-Big 12 First Team.
In 2025, James started all 13 games at cornerback, and he led the team with three interceptions.
He was also named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week last season on Nov. 24 after recording two interceptions and four tackles against TCU.
Hurst was the final player to be named to the Preseason All-Big 12 First Team, and the physical offensive lineman will have a huge role in 2026.
The veteran stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs 295 pounds, and with his size he could very well become one of the best pass protectors and run blockers in the conference.
He also has plenty of experience being a three-time American Athletic Conference champion at Tulane, and he was ranked as the No. 6 guard in the country by PFF in 2025.
Having three players who were all transfers into the University of Houston with preseason honors shows the work that head coach Willie Fritz and his staff are doing in recruiting and development at UH.
With the Cougars relying on Thomas, James and Hurst as leaders in their positional groups, Houston has a strong core heading into the 2026 season.
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Ashton Grissom is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He is currently a senior at the University of Houston and majoring in Sports Media Production with a minor in Marketing and Spanish. He also works for two student organizations: The Cougar and CoogTV. You can find Grissom on his Instagram (@ashtonagrissom8) or Twitter (@ashtongrissom8).