Houston’s transfer portal exit ramp has been a mixed bag, but the real story is that the Cougars haven’t been left holding many painful losses. A handful of former Houston players have found new homes, and while some are producing elsewhere, most of the departures haven’t turned into major regrets.
The loudest reminder of what can disappear through the portal is Corey Platt Jr., a semifinalist for the Comeback Player of the Year Award presented by the College Sports Communicators. Platt followed head coach Willie Fritz from Tulane to Houston, only to battle back-to-back season-ending injuries.
He piled up 41 tackles against Houston last season, along with three sacks, one forced fumble and two passes defended. Now at Texas Tech, he has 16 tackles and one pass defended.
After Utah quarterback Devon Dampier ran all over the Houston defense and the Cougars let a big Big 12 opportunity slip away, a linebacker with Platt’s speed would have come in handy.
A few former Cougars have become steady contributors at their new stops. Reshad Sterling, who played in one game as a true freshman and recorded three tackles at Houston, moved on to Tulane and has made his presence felt there with 11 tackles and one sack.
Defensive tackle Zavian Tibbs, who barely saw the field before leaving for Western Michigan, has found real playing time and now has 22 tackles and a tackle for loss. Tight end Jayden York, after one season each at Texas Tech and Houston and very limited action in both places, transferred to Abilene Christian after the 2025 season and has delivered 24 catches for 275 yards and two touchdowns.
Others have landed in spots where the production has been more modest. Cavan Tuley, who had just four tackles at Houston and spent most of his time on special teams, transferred to Missouri and has matched that total there while contributing on special teams.
Zion Taylor, who saw some special-teams action for Houston in 2024 and redshirted in 2025, is at Sam Houston with two tackles and a sack in limited work. Joshua Donald, who had hoped to break out after a strong season at App State but never played for Houston, moved on to Louisville and has 12 total tackles and 0.5 sacks.
The quarterback movement has been uneven, too. Austin Carlisle is now at UL Monroe, where he is the backup but has logged meaningful snaps.
The Warhawks are 1-6, and Carlisle has 360 passing yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions, along with 237 rushing yards on 44 carries. Zeon Chriss-Gremillion, who came to Houston from Louisiana and spent a couple of seasons as a backup, transferred to Tulane hoping to win the job.
Instead, he sits at QB No. 3 with only 64 passing yards and 15 rushing yards this season.
On the offensive line, David Ndukwe’s Houston run ended after two seasons and a season-ending injury early in 2025 during his third year. The seventh-year offensive tackle transferred to Syracuse before the 2026 season and has not played a game for the Orange yet.
Center Demetrius Hunter was much more established, starting 25 games for Houston before heading to Colorado after 2025, but he has appeared in just one game for the struggling Buffaloes in 2026. Houston’s new center, Anthony Boswell Jr., has been one of the best centers in the country.
There’s also a familiar face trying to reboot elsewhere in the backfield. J’Marion Burnette had some meaningful carries for Houston in 2024, but after barely touching the ball in 2025 he moved on to Appalachian State. He has been stuck behind several running backs there and has only six carries for 21 yards in 2026.
One of the more interesting portal stories is Devan Williams. He transferred to Houston after a solid 2024 season at Tulsa, but his year in Houston didn’t go as planned, and he left for Lamar. At his new stop, he has nine receptions for 84 yards.
Not every departure has followed the same script, but the overall picture is pretty clear: Houston hasn’t been gutted by the portal. In fact, the Cougars have done more than enough on the incoming side to make the outgoing traffic a secondary concern, and they still have room to make some noise in the Big 12 and across college football.
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What Gasser did on the sports biggest stage also placed him in rare company for a left-handed starter in World Series history, a distinction that underscores how sharp he was against a lineup with no room to breathe. For Houston, it is another reminder that the programs reach shows up in October, and for Milwaukee it only sharpened the focus on where this series could go next. [Read more 🡒]