Houston WR Amare Thomas Knows How Close The Cougars Are to Ultimate Success
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The Houston Cougars had a great turnaround season last year, especially considering the expectations heading into 2025. Coach Willie Fritz’s group made a great deal of progress going from four wins in 2024 to 10 wins in 2025.
That also included a Texas Bowl win and being ranked in the top 25 when the season ended. There’s no doubt that last season was considered a success. It was the best year Houston had since 2021. However, the Cougars are not completely satisfied and are now ready to achieve more. This time with the expectations of competing for the Big 12 championship.
Senior wide receiver Amare Thomas will once again be a massive part of the Houston offense. He transferred from UAB last season and quickly became the No. 1 wide receiver on the team. Thomas ended up as one of the top wide receivers in the Big 12 last season with 966 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns on 67 receptions.
Now into his senior year and second season in the program, big things are expected from him. Thomas explained what he learned from last season in an interview with Chris Baldwin of PaperCity Houston during the Big 12 media days in Frisco, Texas.
What Thomas Believes is the Key For the Big 12 Race
“It’s a lot to build on. 10 wins was good last year, but we felt like we could’ve done more. We felt like we dropped some games we were supposed to win. We want to be better,” Thomas said.
Houston All Big 12 receiver Amare Thomas to @PaperCityMag on what the Cougars learned from being in Big 12 race last season: "The little moments matter. The little things matter. We were probably about five plays away from being in the Big 12 Championship (Game). It's the small… https://t.co/JBw1ZMGGTI pic.twitter.com/mAWUl2wCoR
— Chris Baldwin (@ChrisYBaldwin) July 7, 2026
Although the Cougars ended up 10-3 and with a 6-3 Big 12 record, it could have been better. Houston dropped a surprising game to West Virginia and got upset at home 45-35 by one of the worst teams in the Big 12 last season.
The Cougars also lost at home to TCU 17-14 in a winnable game. If Houston had won both those games, it would have been 11-1. That mark just might be good enough to make the Big 12 title game this year.
Thomas learned that sometimes it’s the small things that matter in the race to the Big 12 championship game. His connection with senior quarterback Connor Weigman was off the charts last season, and that duo is expected to be lethal again.
“Him trusting me to make plays, just building on everyday practice. It’s coming together. Even when we’re not practicing, we’re still getting work in,” Thomas said. “He’s way more confident than last year. He knows what’s around him. He knows what to expect, and it’s his team.”
If Weigman and Thomas continue to connect for Houston, the Big 12 title game could definitely be on the horizon.
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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.