Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 33-20vs Oregon State | 8 | 133 | 16.6 | 1 | 37 | Season-high 133 yds |
| Wk 2 | W 77-6vs Southern | 3 | 29 | 9.7 | 1 | 11 | |
| Total | 11 | 162 | 13.2 | 2 | 37 |
AT
Amare Thomas
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.
6′0″ · 205 lb · Birmingham, AL · Pinson HS
CFB Index 85 · #17 of 485 WRsHigh confidenceReturning to Houston for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
162
receiving yards · 2026
11 catches · 2 TD · 14.7 per catch
2 games into 2026 so far -- Backed by 10 rec · 99 yds · 3 TD -- top 1% catches game. -- Best game: 8 rec, 133 yds, 1 TD, vs Oregon State
The play that turned itSwung Houston from 19% to 60% to win.West Virginia at Houston · 45-35
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
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.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to UAB in 2023.
- Transferred from UAB to Houston in 2025.
Buzz vs Tape
Country hotter than the fans
The wider college football conversation reads him warmer than his own fans do — a gap of 28.3 points in belief.
41.7own fans
70national conversation
The story
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.
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
The week the volume broke through — put up 157 yds at Oklahoma State.Oklahoma State · W 39-172025
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 (48th 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.
Written by our staff.
202311 games
- Signed with UAB3-star out of Pinson Valley
202513 games
- Entered the portal
- All-Big 12first
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🥈
ALL-BIG 12 · 1ST TEAM
All-Big 12 1st team (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coaches2023–2024
Houston
Coaching transition mid-career: Dana Holgorsen → Willie Fritz. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023UAB4-8HC: Trent Dilfer · Balanced
2024UAB3-9HC: Trent Dilfer · Balanced
2025Houston10-3HC: Willie Fritz · Run-leaning
2026Houston2-0HC: Willie Fritz · Run-heavy
Where this profile ranks vs the WR cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidenceSustained Ascent
Concern: receptions (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (5)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 5.5 REC/g, 81.0 YDS/g, 13.2 YPR, 1.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Willie Fritz
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
2026 outlook
In the mix to repeat All-Big 12
Based on 2025: #2 of 55 Big 12 WRs
How the All-Big 12 estimate is computed
49% estimated, 95% confidence interval 43–54%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
One of 52 players who were elite at two different things in 2025. See the others ›
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 77–6
vs Southern
3 rec · 29 yds · 1 TD
Dominant 71-point win at home against Southern.
With K. Henderson — 83 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 23.8 · 54 rush yds (1 car) · 1 TD · C. Weigman — 120 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 48.3 · 6 rush yds (1 car)
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 1 · Oregon State · 2&10 · Q1 · EPA +3.42(08:24) No Huddle-Shotgun #1 C.Weigman pass complete short right to #0 A.Thomas caught at OSU24, for 31 yards to the OSU00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 08:13, 1ST DOWN #49 J.Dimas kick attempt failed (H: #15 J.Sock, LS: #69 W.Edwards), End Of Play
- Week 1 · Oregon State · 3&6 · Q4 · EPA +2.85(06:21) No Huddle-Shotgun #1 C.Weigman pass complete deep left to #0 A.Thomas caught at OSU08, for 37 yards to the OSU05 (#8 S.Vadrawale III), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Oregon State · 3&7 · Q1 · EPA +2.62(10:11) No Huddle-Shotgun #1 C.Weigman pass complete short right to #0 A.Thomas caught at HOU43, for 13 yards to the HOU47 (#8 S.Vadrawale III), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Southern · 2&7 · Q1 · EPA +2.62(00:31) No Huddle-Shotgun #1 C.Weigman pass complete short left to #0 A.Thomas caught at SU03, for 8 yards to the SU00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 00:28, 1ST DOWN #49 J.Dimas kick attempt good (H: #15 J.Sock, LS: #69 W.Edwards)
- Week 1 · Oregon State · 2&11 · Q4 · EPA +2.53(07:31) No Huddle-Shotgun #1 C.Weigman pass complete short middle to #0 A.Thomas caught at HOU46, for 15 yards to the OSU46 (#36 D.Vickers), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Oregon State · 2&1 · Q4 · EPA +1.64(15:00) No Huddle-Shotgun #1 C.Weigman pass complete short right to #0 A.Thomas caught at HOU40, for 27 yards to the OSU38 (#8 S.Vadrawale III), out of bounds, 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Southern · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +0.92(03:14) No Huddle-Shotgun #1 C.Weigman pass complete short left to #0 A.Thomas caught at HOU35, for 10 yards to the HOU50 (#9 C.Doyle), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Southern · 2&2 · Q1 · EPA +0.57(12:26) No Huddle-Shotgun #1 C.Weigman pass complete short middle to #0 A.Thomas caught at SU47, for 11 yards to the SU43 (#0 T.James), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Oregon State · 2&15 · Q2 · EPA -0.53(10:12) No Huddle-Shotgun #1 C.Weigman pass complete short left to #0 A.Thomas caught at HOU29, for 4 yards loss to the HOU30, End Of Play
- Week 1 · Oregon State · 2&10 · Q2 · EPA +0.48(11:30) No Huddle-Shotgun #1 C.Weigman pass complete short right to #0 A.Thomas caught at HOU23, for 8 yards to the HOU33 (#99 N.Fisher; #12 G.Goodman)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
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 (48th 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.
Our classifier reads him the same way: wins the 50-50 ball at the goal line.
2026 Outlook
Houston
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Wide receiver · Houston
Returning around him
- 81% of 2024 offensive production back (Strong continuity)
- 1 Houston player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +1 net (18 in / 17 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Houston · Last season: 10-3 (AP #25) · Talent rank #57 · 2026 recruiting class #38
DNA match
Player DNA
Jump-Ball Target
Wins contested catches at the goal line. Size and catch radius are the weapons.
WR
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Jalen Royals’s 2023 season.
85%match
All-Mountain WestNFL Rd 4
Matches Jalen on
Total EPA (college ability)
Yards / reception
EPA / play (adj)
Through 4 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Antwan Davis’s path through Ball State.
Matches Antwan on
Yards per reception
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Jordan Moore's junior season at Duke (2023).
76%match
All-ACC
Matches Jordan on
Reception volume
EPA / play (adj)
Weight
Differs from Jordan on
Class year (lower)
TD rate (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Amare Thomas
Heisman trajectory
Heisman Trajectory · 2026
Peak #116
Peaked at #116 this season.
Background
As a Junior (2025) Phil Steele Magazine All-America Honorable Mention All-Big 12 First Team AP All Big 12 First Team Dave Campbell’s All-Texas Second Team Biletnikoff Award Watch List Big 12 All-Academic Team 966 receiving yards are the most by a Cougar since 2022 12 receiving touchdowns are the...
The receiver room · Houston
- Amare Thomas966 receiving yards · 2025
- #4Trent Walker823 receiving yards · 2025
- #12Stephon Johnson Jr.275 receiving yards · 2025
- #2Koby Young191 receiving yards · 2025
- #3Harvey Broussard126 receiving yards · 2025
11 more on the roster · Houston team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology