Houston DB Jalen Emery expected to enter NCAA transfer portal

Houston defensive back Jalen Emery is expected to enter the transfer portal, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. He spent three seasons with the Cougars.

With UH, Emery redshirted his first season and then appeared in 12 games as a redshirt freshman the next season, coming on strong by recording 26 tackles and seven pass deflections, the most tackles by a Houston freshman in 2021. However, in 2022, an injury kept him out for a while and he showed up in just seven games, making nine tackles and one PD that season.

Now, Emery will transfer and ought to have at least two years of eligibility remaining.

His profile on the Houston Athletics website provides some interesting tidbits about Jalen Emery the person. Let’s start with his best skill on or off the field: Emery claims his hidden talent is the ability to read people’s minds — a skill that should bode well for a cornerback.

He apparently loves Hibachi food and could eat nothing but Hibachi for eternity if he had to. But don’t bring around any cheese. Emery says he hates cheese and avoids it altogether. The same goes for sharks, which he has a great fear for.

But on land, on a football field, he describes himself as a “demon” and also claims to be nicknamed “Speed.” What an interesting cat, or Cougar, who will now hit the market.

Other Houston transfer

Linebacker Aubrey Smith has also entered the NCAA transfer portal following only one year at Houston.

Smith transferred from Colorado to Houston prior to the 2023 season and will now be seeking another new home via transfer. The NCAA recently moved to allow all players to transfer freely without sitting out a year in residence, provided they’re in good academic standing. Smith would fall under that provision.

He redshirted at Houston in 2023 after appearing in just one game. He played four snaps on special teams kick coverage.

The year before at Colorado, Smith played in 11 games for a total of 138 snaps. He saw 82 defensive snaps and 56 special teams snaps. In doing so he recorded eight tackles, a sack, a pass defended and a forced fumble.

Prior to enrolling at Colorado, Aubrey Smith was a three-star prospect and the No. 605 overall recruit in the 2022 recruiting class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

He also checked in as the No. 64 linebacker in the class and the No. 59 overall player in the state of Georgia, hailing from Buford (GA) Buford.