Houston Cougars wide receiver Amare Thomas (0) celebrates a catch and first down during the second quarter against the Oregon State Beavers. Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Houston Cougars Player Spotlight: Wide Receiver Amare Thomas

Originally posted on Houston Cougars on SI
By Ylver Deleon-Rios | Last updated Oct 9, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The Houston Cougars look to this weekend's road matchup against the Oklahoma State Cowboys as their get-right game, after suffering their first loss of the season in a blowout to the Texas Tech Red Raiders the week prior. The Cowboys should be a much more favorable matchup, as Houston heads to Stillwater with Oklahoma State sitting with a 1-4 record and four straight losses.

The Coogs received positive news on Tuesday, with their starting quarterback Conner Weigman being a full participant in the team's practice after suffering an injury late in the first half against Texas Tech, which forced Weigman to sit out for the remainder of last Saturday's game.

The positive news is obviously big for the Coogs' offense, which should be eager to put together a better performance after they were held to their fewest points scored on the season by the Red Raiders. One player in particular should be Cougars' wide receiver Amare Thomas.

Amare Thomas' Impact on the Coogs Offense

Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Aside from the ground game led by Weigman's legs and running back Dean Connors, the Cougars' offense has largely depended on two featured pass catchers in tight end Tanner Koziol and Thomas.

Thomas, who's in his first season with the Cougars, after transferring in the offseason from the UAB Blazers, where he spent the first two seasons of his college career. The third-year wide receiver has recorded 16 receptions for 284 yards and two receiving touchdowns through the first six weeks of the season.

Through the first portion of the season, the newcomer is the Cougars' leader in receiving yards and tied for first in receiving touchdowns with Koziol and fellow wide receiver Stephon Johnson. Thomas has also been one of the Cougars' deep threats in the passing game with an average of 17.8 yards per reception.

Taking on a Struggling Oklahoma State Passing Defense

The Cougars will travel to Stillwater for the first time in over 15 years, with the last time the two teams met in Oklahoma being back in 2009. The Cowboys have had a rough start to the season, which led to the ultimate dismissal of long-time head coach Mike Gundy.

One of the struggles for Oklahoma State has been the Cowboys' defense, especially in defending opposing teams' passing attacks. The Cowboys are at or near the bottom of the Big 12 in most defensive metrics, allowing the most average passing yards per game with 294.6, and their 14 passing touchdowns allowed are also the most in the Big 12. The Cowboys' defense also has just three interceptions on the season, tied for the third fewest in the conference.

While the Cougars will obviously need a full team performance on the road to come home with a victory, Thomas could be a key factor in the game's final score when they face a reeling Cowboys defense.

This article first appeared on Houston Cougars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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