Amare Thomas Ends Regular Season Among the Big 12's Top Receivers

The transfer wide receiver has solidified himself as one of the conference's best pass-catchers.

Nov 7, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Houston Cougars wide receiver Amare Thomas (0) catches a pass during the first quarter against the UCF Knights at Acrisure Bounce House. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

One of the biggest storylines for the Houston Cougars this season has been the impact of additions via the transfer portal. Before the season began, head coach Willie Fritz put together an extremely talented transfer portal class that ranked No. 27 in the country. The class also ranked No. 3 in the Big 12 behind Texas Tech and Colorado.

While Texas A&M transfer Conner Weigman and Rice transfer Dean Connors enhanced the offense's stability, Houston was still missing a consistent playmaker at the wide receiver position. While senior wide receiver Stephon Johnson had shown flashes of being a No. 1 target in the past, the Cougars' offense still needed a true speed threat.

Amare Thomas, a transfer wide receiver from UAB, provided exactly what Fritz and the Cougars were looking for during the offseason with 115 receptions, over 1,100 receiving yards, and 11 total touchdowns in two seasons with the Blazers.

Thomas' Impact on the Houston Offense

Sep 26, 2025; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Houston Cougars wide receiver Amare Thomas (0) celebrates a catch and first down during the second quarter against the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

In his first year with the Cougars, Thomas caught 59 passes for 906 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. The wide receiver averaged 75.5 yards per game in a Houston offense that favored running the ball. With Houston reaching bowl eligibility, Thomas could also surpass 1,000 receiving yards on the season.

Among the notable receivers around the Big 12, Thomas ranked fifth in receptions, second in receiving yards, and tied for first in total touchdowns. The only receiver that bested the UAB transfer in all three categories was TCU wide receiver Eric McAlister.

Thomas' best game for the Cougars this season could certainly be up for debate. While the junior had a productive seven catches for 157 against Oklahoma State in Week 7, many might argue that his three-touchdown performance against West Virginia was better. While the Cougars fell to the Mountaineers, it was the only time in the regular season that Thomas reached double-digit receptions with 10.

Amare Thomas is absolutely a NFL WR.

He deserves more hype than he has gotten as a late round WR pic.twitter.com/c6icLGmshJ

— Jacob (@TexansJacob) November 1, 2025

It was in Houston's last four regular-season games that the wideout truly looked like a No. 1 wide receiver with 28 receptions for 371 yards and five touchdowns. Thomas' performances against the Bears and Knights played a major role in the Cougars finding wins on the road.

Based on Thomas' growth over his collegiate career, there's reason to believe that he could be one of the Big 12's top pass-catchers should he choose to return for his senior season. If the Cougars can return their No. 1 receiving target, Slade Nagle's offense could take another large step forward in 2026.