Houston Cougars Junior Receiver Entering Transfer Portal
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With the official opening of the transfer portal window at 11 p.m. CST on Thursday night, the Houston Cougars have had several additional name entrants departing the program.
Each offseason, the position room is seeing its departures in stages, from the quarterback room with freshman Austin Carlisle and junior Zeon Chriss-Gremillion to the running back room with sophomore J'Marion Burnette. Although this one is depth-filled, Houston's wide receiver room saw its first departure with the window open.
Junior Devan Williams announced he was entering the transfer portal on Friday via X after spending two seasons at Houston under coach Willie Fritz.
Let the doubters talk, I embrace it. Same voices that ain’t believe gon’ be the ones watchin’ when it finally make sense. God got me through it all! @247Sports @TransferPortal @On3sports @4dsports_ pic.twitter.com/6soBCcxYxF
— Devan williams (@Devanmw23) January 2, 2026
Williams committed to Fritz and the Cougars following the conclusion of spring football in May 2024 for his sophomore season after transferring from Tulsa, where he originally registered 399 yards on 29 catches and two touchdown receptions across nine games in 2023 for the Golden Hurricanes.
2024 saw no shortage of impact for Williams, and in playing all 12 games and recording targets in eight, he tallied 127 yards on 11 receptions for the Cougars.
That impact truly shone in one of Houston's most significant games as a young member of the Big 12 conference and a stepping stone for the leap the Cougars took the following season.
In Houston's 30-19 road win over TCU at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas on Oct. 4, 2024, Williams caught three passes for 21 yards and an eight-yard touchdown reception from Chriss-Gremillion to open scoring in the game. His efforts helped the Cougars not only snap an eight-quarter shutout streak, but also capture their first win against the Horned Frogs since 1992, their second Big 12 road win in program history and first Big 12 win under Fritz.
The 2025 campaign saw an opportunity for Williams to contribute to Houston's receiving depth and the eventual turnaround the Cougars endured en route to a 10-3 record, but injuries significantly hindered that ability, limiting him to just 39 snaps across the first three games against Stephen F. Austin, Rice, and the Big 12 home-opener against Colorado.
Now, Williams seeks a new home to be a significant contributor, barring any additional setbacks, and it may not take him long to find it. It might not be the last move out of the position room for Houston, but in return, Fritz is expected gain back from the portal and bolster its depth. The flurry of entrants should not be entirely alarming with that in consideration.
Michael Carrara is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He attends the University of Houston, where he is a journalism major and a marketing minor. He is also a sports writer and reporter for the Daily Cougar, having covered baseball as an NCBWA member. You can find Michael on all major social media channels, including X on @michaelcoalec.