Houston defensive lineman Carmello Brooks was arrested Thursday and charged with assaulting a pregnant individual, according to Harris County court records.
Brooks, 19, was taken into custody by university police at the Cullen Oaks apartment complex on campus. The 6-foot-3, 275-pound sophomore is accused of causing injury to the victim by picking her up and slamming her to the ground while knowing she was pregnant.
According to latest reports, Brooks has been suspended. He was not on the travel roster when the team went to Lubbock on Thursday ahead of Friday night’s game against Texas Tech, based on his spot on the depth chart.
Court records, according to ABC13, show Brooks posted a $15,000 bond on Friday and is scheduled to return to court on Sept. 21.
Brooks also faces a misdemeanor criminal mischief charge from Aug. 9. The woman involved in that incident was not the same person connected to this week’s assault allegation, and police did not arrest Brooks in connection with the August verbal altercation until this past week.
“We are aware of an incident involving a Houston Football student-athlete. We take all allegations of this nature very seriously and are gathering more information,” Houston Athletics said in a media statement.
A Katy, Texas, native, Brooks enrolled at UH in January 2025 and attended Paetow High School, about 35 miles from TDECU Stadium. He was a three-star recruit, ranked by 247Sports as the No. 100 defensive lineman nationally, and earned District 19-6A Defensive MVP honors as a senior.
Brooks redshirted in 2025 and did not play. Team statistics list him as having appeared in one game, against Southern on Sept. 12.
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