Which Houston Football Players Are Living Up to Their NIL Expectations?
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Since head football coach Willie Fritz joined the Cougars in 2024, he has made recruiting a top priority.
The veteran coach built a team mostly through the transfer portal last season and Houston finished with a 10-3 overall record. He also showed that he can recruit at the high school level by signing the No. 1 recruiting class in Houston’s history with the 2026 class.
With all the star players Houston has brought into the program across the past two offseasons, which athletes have lived up to their NIL expectations?
3 Houston Cougars That Have Lived Up to Their NIL Expectations
Conner Weigman
Houston’s senior quarterback Conner Weigman has absolutely been worth his NIL evaluation, and the Cougars took a major chance on the experienced passer last offseason.
Weigman made just over $1 million and he is projected to make a very similar amount in the 2026 season.
While at first it was a big risk bringing in a quarterback who had been injured the majority of his career, Weigman proved that he was worth every penny in 2025.
Last season, he passed for 2,705 yards and 25 touchdowns, and Weigman also recorded 171 carries for 700 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns.
Because of his monster year in 2025, it is safe to say the veteran quarterback has lived up to his price.
Amare Thomas
Senior wide receiver Amare Thomas also proved he was well worth his $700k NIL evaluation after having a breakout season in 2025.
Thomas became a heavily recruited prospect after recording over 1,000 receiving yards in his first two collegiate years at UAB.
Last season, he finished with 67 catches for 966 yards and 12 touchdowns, and he was Houston’s top target all year long.
He finished No. 2 in the Big 12 Conference in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, and he could be even better in 2026.
Shadre Hurst
While there hasn’t been an exact amount nailed down to what Hurst’s price officially was this offseason, it was no doubt a really good pay day for the former Tulane standout.
Hurst hasn’t taken a single snap in a game for Houston yet and he is already gaining national attention .
He was named to the Preseason All Big 12 First Team just last week, and he was ranked as the No. 9 overall offensive lineman in 2025 by PFF.
The 6-foot-2, 295-pound offensive lineman was one of Houston’s best signings from this year’s portal cycle, and he will play a key role in both the running and passing game this season.
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Ashton Grissom is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He is currently a senior at the University of Houston and majoring in Sports Media Production with a minor in Marketing and Spanish. He also works for two student organizations: The Cougar and CoogTV. You can find Grissom on his Instagram (@ashtonagrissom8) or Twitter (@ashtongrissom8).