Retour
Sometimes, the transfer portal hurts. A.J. Holmes, an All-American defensive tackle for the Texas Red Raiders, transferred from Houston.
The portal can kill a team, or really do the opposite. Patrick Overmyer, who dealt with an injury against the Utah Utes, shows how important additions can be.
Here's everything you need to know about the former Houston Cougars who have transferred elsewhere:
Offensive tackle David Ndukwe is in his seventh year of college. He played for Houston for only two seasons before suffering a season-ending injury early in 2025, during his third season. He transferred to the Syracuse Orange before the 2026 season. Ndukwe has not played a game for the Orange in 2026.
He was a key player for the offensive line in 2024, but didn't stay after his unfortunate injury.
Tight end Jayden York played one season at Texas Tech and Houston and had very limited playing time. York entered the portal after the 2025 season and committed to the Abilene Christian Wildcats, an FCS team. He has been good, with 24 receptions for 275 yards and two touchdowns.
Defensive end Cavan Tuley played very little for Houston, totaling just four tackles and mostly playing on special teams before transferring to the Missouri Tigers. At Mizzou, Tuley has recorded four tackles and contributed on special teams.
Defensive end Reshad Sterling was a promising young player who transferred after playing in one game as a true freshman with the Cougars. Sterling recorded three tackles with Houston before transferring to the Tulane Green Wave. At Tulane, Sterling has been solid, with 11 tackles and one sack. Sterling has a bright future with Tulane.
Running back J'Marion Burnette actually had some meaningful carries for the Cougars in 2024, but he transferred after barely touching the ball in 2025. Burnette has sat behind several RBs at Appalachian State and has only six carries for 21 yards so far in 2026.
Wide receiver Devan Williams transferred to Houston after a solid 2024 season with the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes. Williams didn't have a great season, though, which led to Williams departure. He signed with the Lamar Cardinals, where he has caught nine passes for 84 yards.
The departure of linebacker Corey Platt Jr., a semifinalist for the Comeback Player of the Year Award presented by the College Sports Communicators, hurt. Platt followed head coach Willie Fritz from Tulane to Houston, but had to battle back-to-back season-ending injuries.
Platt totaled 41 tackles against Houston last season, with three sacks, one forced fumble, and two passes defended. Platt has only 16 tackles with Texas Tech so far, with one pass defended, but his departure still hurts after he showed how good he can be.
After the Utah Utes quarterback Devon Dampier ran all over the Houston defense and the Cougars wasted a big chance in the Big 12, the speed of a LB like Platt would've been nice.
Center Demetrius Hunter started 25 games at center for Houston before transferring to the Colorado Buffaloes after 2025. The Cougars' new center, Anthony Boswell Jr., has actually been one of the best centers in the country, interestingly.
Hunter has played in just one game with the struggling Buffaloes in 2026.
Quarterback Austin Carlisle transferred to the UL Monroe Warhawks after the 2025 season. Carlisle is currently the Warhawks' backup but has seen significant playing time.
UL Monroe currently sits at 1-6 on the season. Carlisle has a total of 360 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions, and has added 237 rushing yards on 44 carries.
Quarterback Zeon Chriss-Gremillion transferred from the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns and spent a couple of seasons as a backup with Houston. He transferred to Tulane, hoping to compete for the starting job.
Unfortunately, he is currently QB No. 3 and has totaled only 64 passing yards and 15 rushing yards this season.
Defensive end Zion Taylor saw some action on special teams for the Cougars in 2024 but didn't play in 2025 after taking a redshirt. Taylor transferred to the Sam Houston Bearcats, where he has two tackles and a sack so far in limited action.
Defensive tackle Zavian Tibbs saw very little action before leaving Houston for the Western Michigan Broncos. With the Broncos, Tibbs has gotten a lot of playing time and has totaled 22 tackles and a tackle for loss.
Defensive tackle Joshua Donald hoped to break out with Houston after a good season with App State the season prior, but Donald didn't see any playing time with Houston. As a result, he transferred to the Louisville Cardinals after the 2025 season. Playing sparingly, Donald has 12 total tackles with 0.5 sacks.
The good news is that there really hasn't been much to lose sleep over regarding the Cougars' departures. It's probably safe to say that Houston won the transfer portal with how good their additions have been.
The Cougars still have a chance to make some noise in the Big 12 and college football and prove how good their offseason was.