Houston Transfers Who Will Play the Biggest Roles in 2026
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Houston Cougars football is ready to take the next step forward this upcoming season. The expectations are now high to be a contending Big 12 team, and the roster construction matches that.
After Houston had one of the best transfer portal class rankings of 2026, the Cougars have positioned themselves to be in the running for the Big 12 championship. Being active in the portal is crucial to winning, and Houston under coach Willie Fritz, was able to bring some high-impact players to the program.
There will be plenty of transfer players that will play a role on the 2026 team, but these are the top three names that will have to be huge contributors for Houston to have success.
Makhi Hughes, RB
The transfer from Oregon will now be entering his senior season with Houston and is expected to be the star starting running back for the Cougars. Hughes did not get much playing time at Oregon with just 17 total carries, but was special during his time at Tulane. He was the 18th-ranked running back in this year's portal.
Hughes played under Fritz during his freshman season of 2023, and ended up being a freshman All-American with 1378 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 258 carries. The 6-foot, 210-pound back played a key role in winning the 2023 American Athletic Conference and was also the American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year.
His sophomore season was even better with 1401 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on 265 carries. Hughes added 19 receptions for 176 yards and two touchdowns as well. That was ranked second in America and 10th nationally. He was a two-time All-AAC First-Team selection and has the potential to make an All-Big 12 team.
Hughes averaged over five yards per carry at Tulane and should have a strong workload at Houston in the backfield. He can be a true difference maker in the run game.
Ashton Porter, DE
Porter, a Cypress native, returns home as a junior. The transfer from Oregon is expected to be one of the stars up front on the defense. Porter was a highly touted four-star prospect out of Cy Ranch High School and ranked as a top 300 player nationally.
He was the No. 42 defensive end and No. 41 player in Texas in the class of 2023 according to ESPN. Porter spent three seasons at Oregon and redshirted his first year as he played just four games (18 snaps).
The 6-foot-3, 280-pound defensive lineman played in seven games in 2024, where he recorded four tackles and 0.5 sacks. Porter's redshirt sophomore season of 2025 was when he really started to make a difference. He had 20 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, one sack, and one pass breakup in 2025 while playing all 15 games, including two in the College Football Playoff.
Porter will get a chance to shine back in Houston as one of the leaders of the defense with plenty of experience.
Patrick Overmyer, TE
The Cougars knew they needed a starting tight end after Tanner Koziol was expected to go in the NFL draft, and that's exactly what happened. Koziol got drafted in the fifth round, but the production at tight end at Houston will not slow down.
Overmyer made the in-state transfer from UTSA to Houston as an incoming junior and will likely be the starting tight end. After the production that Koziol had with starting quarterback Connor Weigman, Overmyer will also have a big role on the offense.
Overmyer is from Kingwood, just outside the Houston area and returns home. The 6-foot-5, 235 pound tight end pulled in 27 receptions for 344 yards and five touchdowns in his second season with UTSA. He also had a rushing touchdown last year with the Roadrunners.
His 74.9 offense grade ranked 2nd among tight ends in The American in 2025. Overmyer offers great height as a red zone target as well and showed abilities in the open field. As a former high school quarterback, this could be a great weapon for Weigman.
Fritz is really high on Overmyer after a good spring season showing.
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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.