The Big 12 asks a lot of its teams, and Houston has already shown it can survive in that kind of grind. In a 16-team league where every week can force a tradeoff somewhere on the roster, the Cougars have found at least one player who fits the conference’s demands perfectly.
That player is Amare Thomas.
Thomas checks the boxes that matter in the Big 12: relentless, flexible, and fast. He arrived with Houston in 2025, and after last season, he’s already made himself impossible to ignore as one of the Cougars’ top receivers.
His value shows up most when Houston pushes the ball downfield. Thomas has been one of the offense’s best deep threats, piling up multiple 50+ yard games and standing out as one of the conference’s more productive playmakers. When the Cougars need a big strike, he’s the kind of target who can flip a game in one snap.
A big part of that connection comes from Conner Weigman. With Weigman delivering the ball, Thomas has the kind of security that lets the passing game breathe, and together they’ve formed a dangerous pairing that has pulled Houston out of some tough spots.
Speed is another part of Thomas’ game that makes him such a fit for this league. Once he gets moving, defenders usually can’t close the gap. And if they do, Thomas is often already finishing the play in the end zone.
There’s more to his profile than burst, though. Thomas brings experience and leadership to the offense, and that matters for a Houston team leaning on new faces. His background as a college receiver has put him through plenty of tests, and now he looks like one of the players who can steady the group and give incoming recruits the confidence they’ll need in the Big 12.