Houston receiver Sam Brown plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal

Houston receiver Sam Brown plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, he announced Tuesday via X. Brown spent the past two seasons with the Cougars after beginning his college career at West Virginia.

Brown led Houston with 62 catches for 815 yards and three touchdowns this past season. He ranked 10th in the conference in total receiving yards and eighth in receiving yards per game (67.9) as he earned Honorable Mention All-Big 12.

As a recruit, Brown was a three-star recruit coming out of New Hampstead High School in Bloomingdale, Georgia. He ranked as the No. 449 and No. 80 receiver in the 2020 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Brown began his career with the Mountaineers in 2020 and appeared in seven games with one start as a true freshman. He played only two games in 2021 to maintain a redshirt season and will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Upon transferring to Houston in 2022, Brown immediately made an impact to start seven of 11 games in his first season. He finished that year with 41 catches for 471 yards and four TDs.

The Cougars are coming off of a 4-8 finish in their first year as a member of the Big 12. They are set to open the 2024 season on Aug. 31 against UNLV.

More on Houston’s roster, transfer portal situation

Sam Brown is the fourth Houston receiver to enter the transfer portal this offseason along with Ja’Kobe Banks, Matthew Golden and Dalton Carnes. Golden was the Cougars’ third-leading receiver this past season with 38 catches for 404 yards and six touchdowns.

Houston has so far added 14 transfers while 16 players have transferred away from the Cougars. That ranks them No. 65 overall and No. 15 in the Big 12 according to On3’s Transfer Portal Team Rankings.

It hasn’t all been bad news on the transfer portal front for Houston, which brought in former Georgia receiver Mekhi Mews. The Cougars are also set to return Joseph Manjack IV, who had 46 catches for 577 yards and six touchdowns in 2023.

Former Michigan State tight end Maliq Carr is the top transfer portal addition for Houston thus far, coming in at No. 139 in On3’s Transfer Portal Player Rankings.