University of Houston Athletics
Houston Adds Seven Newcomers to Roster
1/28/2019 9:21:00 AM | Football
Cornerback Damarion Williams led all JUCO players nationally with seven interceptions
HOUSTON – The Houston Football program added seven newcomers to its roster Monday with the addition of defensive linemen Taures Payne and Olivier Charles-Pierre, cornerback Damarion Williams, linebacker Terrance Edgeston, quarterback Logan Holgorsen and safeties Jordan Moore and Thabo Mwaniki.
Payne, Charles-Pierre, Williams, Edgeston and Holgorsen will be eligible for the 2019 season while Moore and Mwaniki will sit out the 2019 season as undergraduate transfers.
 |
Purchase Tickets | Join Cougar Pride |
Olivier Charles-Pierre | DL | 6-2 | 345 | Laval, Quebec (New Mexico Military Institute)
Will have two years of eligibility remaining after transferring from New Mexico Military Institute … saw action in all nine games as a sophomore, totaling 30 tackles including 5.5 tackles for loss … earned All-Southwest Junior College Football Conference honors … named a 2018 preseason junior college All-American by GridironRR.com.
Terrance Edgeston | LB | 6-2 | 220 | Falkner, Miss. (Falkner HS/Northeast Mississippi CC)
Will have two years of eligibility remaining after transferring from Northeast Mississippi CC … three-star recruit by ESPN … No. 7 JUCO linebacker by ESPN … finished as the top tackler among Mississippi junior colleges with 94 total stops … tied for fifth nationally on the junior college level with an average of 10.4 tackles per game … earned both NJCAA All-Region 23 and MACJA All-State First-Team honors … had 32 tackles with two tackles for loss and one pass breakup playing as a defensive back as a freshman … three-star recruit by 247Sports … No. 9 junior college outside linebacker by 247Sports … coached by Greg Davis … played high school football at Falkner High School in Falkner, Miss. … earned first-team Class 1A all-state honors as a senior … selected to play in the 2016 Bernard Blackwell All-Star Classic … earned second-team Class 1A all-state honors as a junior … chose Houston over Florida Atlantic, Troy and UAB among others.
Logan Holgorsen | QB | 6-0 | 185 | Houston, Texas (University HS)
Attended University High School in Morgantown, W.Va. for his senior year ... three-star recruit by ESPN and 247Sports ... No. 10 player in the state of West Virginia by ESPN ... No. 12 player in the state of West Virginia by 247Sports ... No. 56 quarterback by ESPN ... named to the West Virginia Sportswriters AAA All State Second Team as a senior ... also attended Morgantown HS during his high school career.
Jordan Moore | S | 5-11 | 192 | Yoakum, Texas (Yoakum HS/Texas A&M)
Will sit out the 2019 season after transferring from Texas A&M … will have three years of eligibility remaining beginning with the 2020 season … saw action in four games at Texas A&M while redshirting … listed as a four-star prospect by Rivals and ESPN coming out of Yoakum High School … named to Dave Campbell's Magazine Preseason Super Second Team … rated as a top-50 player in the state of Texas and as a top-20 player at his position by Rivals, ESPN and 247Sports … coached by Bo Robinson at Yoakum High School ... contributed 117 tackles, 11 passes broken up and seven interceptions for 13-2 team in 2017 … also rushed for 1,411 yards and 16 touchdowns and had 29 catches for 735 yards and 11 scores ... earned second-team All-Texas honors from the USA TODAY High School Sports ... named to the Texas APSE Class 3A first-team all-state team ... as a junior, posted 11 interceptions, including five that he returned for touchdowns … offensively, contributed 507 rushing yards and eight touchdowns and 774 receiving yards with 11 scores ... as a sophomore, posted eight interceptions on defense and rushed for 1,066 yards and 22 touchdowns on offense ... added another 200 yards through the air.
Thabo Mwaniki | S | 5-11 | 185 | Denton, Texas (Guyer HS/Oklahoma State)
Will sit out the 2019 season after transferring from Oklahoma State … will have two years of eligibility remaining beginning with the 2020 season … saw action in 11 games with six starts in 2018 … finished the year with 17 tackles including one for a loss and one pass breakup … only true freshman to start for Oklahoma State in 2017 as he earned the starting nod in his second career game at South Alabama, then again later in the season against Kansas State ... recorded his first career interception in OSU's win over Baylor ... finished the season with 22 tackles, including 19 solo stops ... had multiple tackles in eight games … played high school football for coach John Walsh at Denton Guyer HS, filling a versatile roll as a defensive back, linebacker, running back, wide receiver and quarterback … filled up the stat sheet as a senior, recording 64 tackles, nine passes defended and an interception on defense while totaling 243 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 43 carries, 261 receiving yards and one touchdown on 16 receptions and 63 passing yards with zero interceptions on 9-of-15 passing … second-team selection at safety to the 6-6A all-district team as a senior despite covering such a wide range of responsibilities on the team … junior numbers included 61 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, two sacks, six pass break ups and fumble recovery on defense and 293 receiving yards and touchdown on 18 catches on offense … saw his first varsity action as a sophomore, totaling 56 tackles, five tackles for loss, a pass break up and a fumble recovery … earned first-team all-district honors at linebacker as a junior and was a second-team all-district selection at safety as a sophomore … also competed for the track and field team.
Taures Payne | DL | 6-4 | 260 | Hoover, Ala. (Hoover HS/Northwest Mississippi CC)
Will have two years of eligibility remaining after transferring from Northwest Mississippi CC … saw action in 10 games in 2018, finishing the year with 31 tackles including 6.5 tackles for loss and four sacks ... also had two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a blocked kick in his first season with the program, saw action in 11 games and finished with 33 tackles including six tackle for loss and 2.5 sacks … also had one blocked kick and one pass breakup ... coached by Benjy Parker … played high school football for head coach Josh Niblett at Hoover (Ala.) ... as a senior, helped the Buccaneers to a 10-3 record and the third round of the Class 7A state playoffs ... winner of the Victor Hill Defensive Player of the Year team award … chose Houston over Florida, Kentucky and Maryland among others.
Damarion Williams | CB | 5-11 | 170 | Atlanta, Ga. (Community Christian School/Highland CC)
Will have two years of eligibility remaining after transferring from Highland Community College … NJCAA First-Team All-American at Highland Community College after leading the nation with seven interceptions and 17 pass breakups … played in all 10 games in 2018, finishing the year with 48 tackles including 6.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks .. led Highland with seven interceptions and 17 pass breakups, both leading the nation … also had one fumble recovery, four kick returns for 73 yards and 10 punt returns for 88 yards … had two defensive touchdowns, one interception return and one fumble return … tied the Highland single-season record with the seven interceptions … tied the Highland career record with 10 interceptions … as a freshman had 25 tackles, three interceptions and two pass breakups … also had four punt returns for 88 yards and one touchdown … three-star recruit by Rivals and 247Sports … No. 9 junior college cornerback by 247Sports … played high school football at Community Christian School in Stockbridge, Ga.
