Houston wide receivers Joseph Manjack and Jonah Wilson have each entered the transfer portal. Manjack started all 11 games he was available for and Wilson started five.
Houston football just finished one of their worst statistical seasons on the offensive side of the ball. The team finished 132nd of 133 FBS teams in scoring at 14.0 points per game. They also finished 126th in passing offense at 152.7 yards per game and 129th in total offense at 288.1 yards per game.
UH had two passing touchdowns in just two games – Utah and Kansas State. Every other game were 0 or 1, including zero in the last three games combined.
Joseph Manjack IV
The passing offense took a big hit under the new regime, throwing just nine touchdowns (T-127 nationally). Individuals saw their targets drop due to the overall impotence in the air. Fan favorite Joseph Manjack IV saw his targets drop from 72 in 2023 to 33 in 2024. I would guess that this was a significant factor, if not the most important, in his reason for moving on from the Coogs.
Losing Manjack might have the most negative impact on fan morale of any outgoing transfer. Jeremiah Wilson is a big loss on defense, certainly, but Manjack was a hometown kid who played his heart out every down. In his first game as a Coog, he produced the #1 play on the SportsCenter Top 10 list, bringing in a one-handed touchdown catch with his signature no-glove look.
https://x.com/UHCougarFB/status/1566190501849612288
While some players left after the previous staff was fired, Manjack stuck around and gave Willie Fritz a chance. But if he wants a chance at the next level, he needs the ball in his hands. The reverse passes were fun, and we’ll always have those as a memory.
Lack of targets and an uncertain future at quarterback are enough to lead the Tomball Memorial product in search of a new home. Even the potential of joining forces with a former 5-star quarterback wasn’t enticing enough to keep him home.
Jonah Wilson
Along with Manjack, former 4-star wide receiver Jonah Wilson has ended his time at UH. Wilson flipped from Texas to play for former wide receiver coach Daikiel Shorts last season. His biggest impact in Houston was his lone career touchdown, a 60-yard bomb from Donovan Smith against Oklahoma State in 2023.
https://x.com/UHCougarFB/status/1725993855873401027
Wilson had just two catches and four targets in the final six games of the season.
Wilson’s lack of production will be a red flag for some schools. Only 19 targets in two seasons have not given him much film. However, he had offers from LSU, Ohio State, and Texas A&M (among others) high school and has the size, a skillset, and untapped potential that coaches covet.
Seeing receivers leave while indications that Conner Weigman will potentially join the team is strange. By no means is Weigman to Houston a done deal, and these departures could affect the QB’s decision. But today is just the first of portal mania: I don’t know if there will be as much roster turnover as last off-season, but I’d expect things to be busy again.
