Amare Thomas tied for the Big 12 lead in touchdowns and led every returning receiver in slot scores. He re-signed with his quarterback to run it back as Houston's go-to weapon — the man they throw it to when it matters.
The UAB transfer broke out in 2025: roughly 966 yards, 12 touchdowns to tie for the Big 12 lead, first-team All-Big 12, and a league-best nine slot touchdowns among returning receivers — a separator where games are decided. He and quarterback Conner Weigman both came back, keeping Houston's most dangerous connection intact. The forward stakes are a breakout into a genuine NFL-prospect profile: he's already a proven scorer, and 2026 is about expanding from red-zone specialist to full-field No. 1. For Houston, he's the weapon the offense leans on when it needs points.
How he plays
Thomas is a scoring-and-explosive-play receiver, strongest where it counts. Our play-by-play likes the big stuff — an 82nd-percentile yards-per-catch, an 80th-percentile explosive-catch rate, and an 84th-percentile EPA per target — and the real-world signature is the nine slot touchdowns, the trait of a receiver who wins the leverage and separation battles inside the 20. The catch rate is more ordinary (43rd percentile), the mark of a vertical, contested-leaning target rather than a high-volume possession type. He's a chunk-play and red-zone specialist — the guy who turns a third-down target into six points — and the growth edge is the underneath consistency that rounds him into an every-down No. 1.
