How the Transfer Portal Actually Fixed Houston's Biggest Weakness

When it comes to the transfer portal, how has it impacted Houston's roster?

Dec 27, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Cougars defensive back Latrell McCutchin Sr. (1) recovers the onside kick during the second half against the Louisiana State Tigers at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

The transfer portal has been known to give many players and team second chances at the sport they work hard to play in.

Recently, Houston has been getting major attention in the portal. Ever since its Texas Bowl win against LSU, Houston has been climbing higher on player's recruiting boards.

When talking about last season, how did the transfer portal help Houston build up their weakest positions, and what knowledge from last year's portal can be passed on to this year's portal?

The transfer portal in 2025

Oct 25, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Houston Cougars defensive back Jordan Allen (6) celebrates a play against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the second half at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Last season proved a lot of things about the Cougars, and one of the major things that they had was their winning mentality.

In just two seasons, Houston has won a bowl game against an SEC team with a new head coach. Not many programs can say they've had the same success.

However, in order to get to that point, Houston had to look for new talent in some of the weaker positions on the roster. With the senior class gone, two positions in particular were looking for new stars to take over.

Houston's offensive line

One of these positions was the offensive line, as almost half of the core line graduated in 2024. With the transfer portal in full swing throughout the offseason, Head Coach Willie Fritz began looking for new talents.

From the portal, they landed Dalton Merryman, a tackle from Texas Tech who proved to be a menace on the field using his height to bulldoze defensive linemen. Houston also gained Matthew Wykoff, a star from Cal looking for a new home.

Together, both of these players helped rebuild the offensive line and had significant minutes on the turf. With their major height advantage, they were able to establish a better run game and allowed many rushing yards for the offense.

Houston's Secondary

Houston also used the transfer portal to gain many new secondary pieces. Mainly focused on aquiring new defensive backs, Fritz found talent from many different places.

Along with the most players aquired from the portal, the defenive back position had some of the most diversity among all positions from the portal. Many players came from division two teams, with others coming from major teams from the SEC.

One of the players from the SEC that had the most impact throughout the season was safety Jordan Allen, who came from the LSU Tigers. With his speed and agility, he was able to shut down many star receivers and had many impactful minutes in the Bowl game at the end of the season.

Looking towards the future, Houston looks like a top destination for many players in the portal, and new talent is joining the Cougars everyday.