Houston Cougars On SI

Houston Cougars Land Defensive Tackle From Transfer Portal

The Cougars add more to the defensive trenches through the portal. 
Maanav Gupta|
Houston Cougars defensive lineman Carlos Allen (5) brings down Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Sam Jackson V (18) during a college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys (OSU) and the Houston Cougars at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. Houston won 39-17.
Houston Cougars defensive lineman Carlos Allen (5) brings down Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Sam Jackson V (18) during a college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys (OSU) and the Houston Cougars at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. Houston won 39-17. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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The Houston Cougars have been quite active since the transfer portal opened in terms of reeling in talented players to help the team in 2026.

This is probably the most involved Houston has been in the transfer portal for some time. Houston has already added multiple offensive linemen, a running back, wide receiver, as well as secondary pieces. 

The Cougars also added Oklahoma State transfer defensive lineman De’Marion Thomas in their first move to bolster up the defensive trenches. UH needs to add more depth at that spot in the defense given Carlos Allen Jr. declaring for the NFL draft and Eddie Walls II expected to do the same. While Houston did recruit a couple of young defensive tackles in their 2026 class, more experience is needed. 

Houston was able to add just that as transfer defensive lineman from Yale, Ejiroghene Egodogbare, made his new commitment to the Cougars. 

Houston’s New Depth in the Defensive Trenches

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Oct 25, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Houston Cougars defensive lineman Carlos Allen Jr. (5) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Egodogbare is a massive 6-foot-3 and 305-lbs, the kind of size Houston needs at defensive tackle. While he spent six seasons at Yale, Egodogbare did not play his first two seasons in 2020 and 2021 and then missed the entire 2025 season due to injury. He has seen three seasons of action and has 61 career tackles, nine tackles for loss, and two blocked kicks. 

The Milton, Mass. native made 30 tackles and 5.5 TFLs in eight games in 2024, and also returned a fumble for a touchdown. Egodogbare earned a spot on the All-Ivy League First Team for that effort.

At Roxbury Latin High School, he played both football and basketball and was also a thrower for the track and field team. Egodogbare was an all-state selection in 2019. 

Houston has been able to take players from smaller programs and help them perform on a higher stage. That is what they’ll look to do with Egodogbare, who now gets a chance to play for a power four school. The Cougars need his talents for depth. UH still has to continue to build out their defensive line in order to get to where they want to be.

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Maanav Gupta
MAANAV GUPTA

Maanav Gupta is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He graduated from the University of Houston in the summer of 2025 with his bachelor’s in journalism and a minor in Spanish. Gupta spent three years at the student newspaper, The Daily Cougar, and also covered the 2025 Final Four and National Championship as Houston beat writer for College Basketball Review. He also has his own YouTube channel, Maanav’s Sports Talk, where he has interviewed professional athletes and broadcasters like Jim Nantz, Jose Altuve, J.J. Watt, Rich Eisen, and Alperen Sengun. Gupta was also a contributor to the Houston athletic program as a student. You can find Gupta on X, Instagram and TikTok @MGSportsTalk.

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