Houston is already getting some offseason shine, and it comes from three transfer additions who are set to shape the 2026 season.
Senior wide receiver Amare Thomas, junior defensive back Will James and senior offensive lineman Shadre Hurst all picked up preseason honors earlier this week, giving the Cougars a trio of recognized leaders before fall camp even gets rolling. Houston opens the year against Oregon State on Saturday, Sep. 5, at 11 a.m. inside TDECU Stadium, and the program is a little more than a month away from that kickoff.
Thomas headlines the group. He was named to Athlon Sports’ Preseason All-America Third Team and also landed on the Preseason All-Big 12 First Team after the kind of 2025 season that put him squarely on the conference radar. He finished second in the Big 12 in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, and he looks like a player Houston can lean on every week.
James earned his own spot on the Preseason All-Big 12 First Team after a strong first year in the secondary. He started all 13 games at cornerback in 2025 and led the team with three interceptions. One of his biggest moments came on Nov. 24, when he was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week after posting two interceptions and four tackles against TCU.
Hurst rounds out the list as another Preseason All-Big 12 First Team selection. The 6-foot-2, 295-pound lineman brings both size and experience to Houston’s front, and he arrives with a résumé that includes three American Athletic Conference championships at Tulane. PFF ranked him as the No. 6 guard in the country in 2025, a nod to the kind of impact he can make in both pass protection and the run game.
For Willie Fritz and his staff, the fact that all three honorees came to Houston as transfers says plenty about the work being done in recruiting and development. More importantly for the Cougars, Thomas, James and Hurst give the team a strong foundation at three key spots as the 2026 season approaches.
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