Willie Fritz and his staff continue to attack the portal, now bringing in two dynamic receivers, Harvey Broussard and Amare Thomas.
Harvey Broussard
The departures of Jonah Wilson and Joseph Manjack left the team with no receivers over 6’0”, according to uhcougars.com. Broussard, who is listed at 6’3” on most recruiting sites, is now the tallest receiver on the roster. Despite receiving offers from Penn State, Ole Miss, Florida, and over half the Big 12, he started his college career at Louisiana. In two seasons, he made 55 catches for 843 yards and five touchdowns.
Broussard explodes off the line at the snap of the ball. He stretches the field, averaging 15.7 yards per reception this season. Even when given a cushion, he erases it quickly and uses his long frame to win contested catches. His routes are not the most crisp, but he possesses a very good fluidity for his size. He does a good job of selling deep routes and creating space on catches near the sideline.
He didn’t have much success after the catch this season, averaging just 1.9 yards per reception. But he often adjusted to the ball in the air, using his body control to secure a catch. And he is a weapon in the red zone, with four of his five touchdowns in that area of the field. On three of those, he won contested catches to secure the score.
Expect Slade Nagle to use Broussard to stretch the field and as a threat in the red zone. Harvey’s catch radius should make him a favorite of Conner Weigman when a tough catch is needed. Weigman’s accuracy outside the numbers and Broussard’s ability to high point and adjust to the ball should create a lot of back-shoulder or fade connections.
Amare Thomas
Thomas is a perfect complement to what Broussard brings to the table. He averaged 10.6 yards per catch this season, with 6.2 yards coming after the catch. UAB found various ways to get Thomas the ball in space to help them move the sticks. He caught 62 balls and scored eight times this year.
Thomas was often used in the screen game, similar to Matt Golden in 2023. Thomas is most dangerous when he can get the ball early and set up blockers in front of him. He is slippery with the ball in his hands and has good change of direction. Against Tulane, Thomas took a jet sweep 73 yards for a touchdown without being touched.
Similar to Broussard, Thomas is a weapon in the red zone, where he scored six of his eight touchdowns. But he did it differently: Thomas breaks quickly and can create separation. He does a good job of finding open space and making himself available to the quarterback.
Another weapon for Weigman, Thomas, is likely to be dangerous at the line of scrimmage and between the numbers. If the offensive linemen can get out in front of him on screens, he will continue to create issues for opposing defenses. His slippery quality and quickness will create easy underneath throws for the new signal caller.
Bringing It All Together
Manjack and Wilson are out, Thomas and Broussard are in. They join Boogie Johnson, Mekhi Mews, and Koby Young as the top contenders to start. The staff is still searching for tight ends, having hosted several in the last week. Terrance Carter Jr., who also played at Louisiana, did not commit on his visit. Tanner Koziol, a top UH target, committed to Wisconsin.
On paper, there is reason to feel optimistic. Broussard and Thomas give you weapons in the red zone, where you need them most. The staff set out with a plan to improve the roster and is attacking that while improving in areas where UH was weak.
The portal is open until December 28th.
