What Needs the Houston Cougars Still Have in the Transfer Portal
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Houston Cougars football has completely changed under head coach Willie Fritz. While Houston experienced the biggest turnaround in the FBS this past season, going from 4-8 to 10-3 and winning the Texas Bowl over LSU, the program has clearly come a long way in just two years.
The Cougars are clearly looking to compete for even bigger goals in 2026, such as a Big 12 championship or College Football Playoff berth. A big step in getting there is taking advantage of the transfer portal in this day and age. That is now a crucial piece of the puzzle in continuing the rise of Houston football.
Houston has actually done an excellent job so far in the portal recruiting new talent. The Cougars currently rank sixth nationally in On3’s transfer portal rankings, factoring in players lost and gained.
What Houston Has Done in the Portal
While Houston has lost 15 players, they also gained 15 transfers through the portal. UH gained more 3-star and four-star recruits while adding good value to their NIL deals. The Cougars have also done well in improving at the weak areas where seniors are leaving for the next level or have former players transferred from.
Houston has made significant improvements on their offense surrounding junior quarterback Connor Weigman. With senior running back Dean Connors moving on, the Cougars made a huge transfer portal signing of Oregon junior RB Makhi Hughes.
He ran for over 1400 yards during his last season at Tulane, ranked 10th nationally. UH added multiple offensive linemen: T Drew Terrill, G Shadre Hurst from Tulane, T Hayden Wright, and C Anthony Boswell.
The Coogs also added two more receivers: Trent Walker from Oregon State and Tyson Turner from Texas Tech, as well as the former No. 1 kicker in the country, Evan Noel from Florida. A tight end was needed, and Patrick Overmyer signed from UTSA.
Defensively, they have addressed multiple areas. Houston got a big transfer acquisition of Ole Miss linebacker Jaden Yates. They also got another linebacker, Miller Malone.
What Still Needs to be Addressed
There are two areas that Houston still could get from the transfer portal. That is the defensive line and secondary. Houston is losing both Carlos Allen Jr. and Eddie Walls III. Getting a pass rush is always key for a team’s success, and UH needs to build that more.
While they did add DL De’Marion Thomas from Oklahoma State, another big move would go a long way. It seems like DL Ejiroghene Egodogbare from Yale is a depth move. There are still some strong edge rushers available in the portal, and Houston could target someone like freshman Tobi Haastrup from Oregon, who is originally from the Houston area and was a four-star recruit.
In terms of interior defensive line, TCU junior Paul Oyewale is one of the highest-rated defensive linemen left who is expected to be in the transfer portal, according to On3. Oyewale is also originally from Houston. While he has stated his intention of returning to TCU, Houston could try to make a run.
The Cougars definitely have talent in the secondary with Will James and Kentrell Webb, among others, but could use another big name. Houston already signed Tulane starting defensive back Javion White, one of the better safeties in the American, as well as SFA corner Jalen Mayo.
UH still has a couple of portal options at safety if interested, with freshman Jacob Bradford, a Baton Rouge native, who is transferring from LSU. Bradford was a four-star prospect and one of the highest-ranked safeties left in the portal. Additionally, junior Carter Stoutmire is transferring from Colorado. He is a Plano, Texas native.
At corner, redshirt sophomore from Texas, Warren Roberson, just recently entered the transfer portal. The Red Oak, Texas native played in 12 games this past season.
Houston can really make a push and truly stabilize their defense if it adds to the defensive line and back end.
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.