Houston Cougars Boast the Highest Graded OL Transfer This Offseason

PFF College believes that the Cougars may have landed the best offensive line transfer during the portal period.

Sep 20, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Tulane Green Wave offensive linemen Shadre Hurst (56) blocks during the first quarter against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

After a 10-win season that turned many heads in the college football world, the Houston Cougars football program kept its momentum by securing a top-10 transfer portal class ahead of the 2026 season.

Like many elite programs in the sport, head coach Willie Fritz and his staff emphasized getting better in the trenches. While it wasn't necessarily a glaring problem for the team last season, there were times when the Cougars were overmatched up front.

From the moment the transfer portal opened, Houston showed that they were serious about being a contender in the Big 12. Almost immediately after the portal period began, the Cougars landed one of the best transfer offensive linemen in the country, Shadre Hurst.

Highest Graded Offensive Line Transfers This Offseason💪 pic.twitter.com/G1bqdQ1lAI

— PFF College (@PFF_College) February 11, 2026

Hurst, after spending four years at Tulane, will likely be a foundational piece of the Houston offensive line in 2026. He was rated a three-star transfer by both On3 and 247Sports, but received the highest grade of any offensive lineman in the portal with a 90.5.

An Immediate Contributor for the Cougars

Oct 13, 2023; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Tulane Green Wave offensive linemen Shadre Hurst (56) blocks during the first half against the Memphis Tigers at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Hurst arrives in Houston with one of the strongest résumés of any offensive lineman in the 2026 transfer class. His production, and especially his consistency during his time with the Green Wave positioned him as an elite interior offensive line presence in the portal.

A 2025 Sporting News Second‑Team All‑American and two‑time First‑Team All‑AAC selection, Hurst brings both elite pass and run-blocking to Houston’s front. He finished last season as the AAC’s top‑graded offensive lineman and ranked among the nation’s elite at his position, earning the No. 6 guard grade and No. 9 overall offensive line grade from PFF.

Hurst also played a major role in Tulane securing two AAC conference championships in 2022 and 2025. That kind of championship pedigree is exactly what Fritz and his staff are looking to add to their football program.

Hurst's value to Houston goes beyond simply filling a role on the Houston offensive line. Not only does the Tulane transfer add much-needed depth to the trenches for the Cougars, but he could also raise the unit's floor and ceiling as well.

Hurst was also a standout for a team that reached the College Football Playoff during the 2025 season. While the Ole Miss Rebels eventually put the game out of reach, that kind of experience in playoff settings is exactly what Fritz values in his transfers. If Hurst can translate that playoff experience into Big 12 play, he has the tools to elevate Houston's offensive line into a much more confident and cohesive group.