Houston Cougars 2025 Football Position Preview: Wide Receivers
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The opening night of college football for the Houston Cougars is just 10 days away as they welcome the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks to "The Cage."
After a successful offseason of reeling in transfers and improving their offensive line, head coach Willie Fritz is looking to make his second year in Space City a lot more memorable this time by, at least for a good reason and not the 4-8 record that plagued his opening year with the team.
One of those transfers just so happens to be a wide receiver and one that could very well boost the offense as quarterback Conner Weigman settles into his new team, and hopefully provides the team with more than nine touchdowns through the air, which is all they could muster last season.
The 2025 Houston Cougars Wide Receiver Corps
Here are the expected starting wide receivers in Fritz's offensive scheme as the season lies shortly ahead.
Stephon Johnson, senior
The Coogs' leading receiver last year is back for his final go-around at TDECU, as Stephon Johnson returns to his WR1 role in the team after catching 32 passes for 402 yards and two touchdowns in 2024.
The Houston native's biggest game was a four-catch, 70-yard production in the Cougars' 27-3 against the Arizona Wildcats last November, while also adding five catches and 57 yards in the team's close 16-12 Week 2 loss to the No. 15 Oklahoma Sooners.
With Johnson one of the more experienced receivers coming back to Houston for 2025, look for Weigman to give him the most looks, and for Johnson to draw the most pressure from the defense.
Amare Thomas, junior
The newest Houston Cougar after transferring out of the University of Alabama-Birmingham, Thomas brings a receiving threat of his own to his new team after putting up 62 receptions for 670 yards and eight touchdowns at UAB in 2024, which included a 97-yard, two-touchdown performance against the South Florida Bulls that came from eight catches in the 35-25 loss.
He would then follow that up with another two-touchdown day with eight receptions and 84 yards in the team's 59-21 win against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.
The former Blazer popped off a lot of big plays during the 2024 season, so if there's going to be a deep ball threat for the Cougars this year, it will most likely be Thomas.
Koby Young, redshirt freshman
A toe injury cut his freshman year short after securing just two catches for 13 yards in the season opener against UNLV Rebels, but now fully healthy, the 19-year-old is ready to get a full season under his belt.
Young had previously committed to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, but would eventually flip his commitment to Houston out of Holy Cross High School in New Orleans, the 21st-ranked player in the state, according to 247 Sports.
