Houston Cougars Senior Looks to the NCAA for one Final Season of College Eligibility
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The Houston Cougars put the finishing touches on a positive 2025 season with a victory in the Kinder's Texas Bowl over the LSU Tigers. With this season, the Cougars improve from back-to-back four-win seasons in 2023 and 2024 to the program's first 10-win season since 2021, ending the year with a 10-3 record.
Now, Houston will shift its focus to building its roster for the 2026 season after some key losses like running back Dean Connors and tight end Tanner Koziol. Willie Fritz and his coaching staff will look to return some of the Coogs' key pieces for next year and take a look at targets in the transfer portal, which was impactful for the Cougars this season, once the portal officially opens on Jan. 2.
However, there is one Coog, who is not looking to Fritz and his coaching staff, or even another football program, for another opportunity, but to the NCAA itself.
Stephon Johnson Applies for One Last Year of Eligibility
On Sunday, Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle revealed in an article that senior wide receiver Stephon Johnson has applied to the NCAA, seeking a medical redshirt for a final year of college eligibility.
The wide receiver saw action in five games this past season; unfortunately for the senior, his year was cut short after suffering a Lisfranc injury in his right foot against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Johnson played in two quarters over the maximum four-game limit to preserve a regular redshirt season, therefore needing to reach out to the NCAA for a medical redshirt.
Johnson was gearing up to be a big contributor in the Coogs' offense before the season-ending injury, as in those five games he played in, the wide receiver recorded 13 receptions for 275 yards and two touchdowns.
In the same article, Duarte also revealed that Johnson mentioned the earliest he will hear back from the NCAA is Jan. 5.
Stephon Johnson's Time with the Coogs
The wide receiver did not begin his college career with the Cougars, spending his freshman season up in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where he played out his first year of college football in 2022 with the Oklahoma State Cowboys, seeing action in nine games, recording 17 catches for 273 yards and touchdowns.
After that season, the Houston native returned to the Lone Star State, transferring to the Cougars before the 2023 season, in which Johnson would play in 12 games, totaling 24 receptions for 277 yards and three touchdowns.
Johnson's junior season in 2024 would be a breakout year for the wide receiver as he led the Cougars in both receiving yards and receptions, ending the season with 32 catches for 402 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
