University of Houston Athletics
Six Cougars Named to Dave Campbell’s All-Texas Teams
12/9/2025 9:00:00 AM | Football
Trio earn First-Team honors, three more named to Second Team
HOUSTON – Six Houston Cougar Football players were named to Dave Campbell's Texas Football All-Texas teams on Tuesday with three Cougar First-Team selections and three Second-Team honorees.
Defensive lineman Carlos Allen Jr., defensive back Will James and kicker Ethan Sanchez highlighted the All-Texas First Team.
Allen, an All-Big 12 Conference Second-Team honoree, finished the regular season with the second most tackles nationally by a defensive lineman and the most by an interior defensive lineman with 75 tackles, the most by a Cougar interior lineman since at least 2005. Allen's 33 stops led all Texas interior linemen while his run-stop percentage of 8.4% led all Texas interior linemen.
After being named All-Big 12 Conference Second Team, James earned First-Team honors after becoming the first Cougar since 2015 with 4.0 TFLs and three interceptions on the season. James posted the best PFF coverage Grade in Texas, the second highest in the Big 12, and the 11th best nationally.
Sanchez earned All-Texas First-Team honors after being an Honorable Mention selection in the Big 12 following a 20-field goal season. Sanchez nailed three game-winning field goals and posted two 4+ field goal games while becoming the first Cougar to kick 20 field goals in a season since 2019.
Wide receiver Amare Thomas, tight end Tanner Koziol and defensive back Wrook Brown earned All-Texas Second-Team selections.
Koziol garnered All-Texas Second-Team accolades after he paced FBS tight ends with 65 receptions and finished second in the Big 12 with 651 receiving yards, both the most by a Cougar tight end since 2008. The Bloomingdale, Ill., native hauled in touchdown catches in five different games, including the first touchdown of the season against Stephen F. Austin.
Thomas earned All-Texas Second-Team honors after he finished second in the Big 12 with 10 receiving touchdowns and 906 receiving yards, both the most by a Cougar since 2022. The Birmingham, Ala., native hauled in three touchdowns of 50+ yards and scored six touchdowns of 20+ yards.
Brown, an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention, led Big 12 defensive backs with three sacks and finished fourth among Big 12 defensive backs with nine pressures. Brown's three sacks led Texas defensive backs in 2025 and his 82.0 PFF defense grade ranked ninth among Texas defensive backs.
UP NEXT
Houston's best season in five years continues as the #21 Cougars take on the LSU Tigers on Dec. 27 at 8:15 p.m. in the Kinder's Texas Bowl in NRG Stadium. The game will air on ESPN. Fans are encouraged to buy tickets through Houston Athletics beginning on Wednesday at uh.evenue.net/events/BOWL.
SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Football by providing NIL opportunities and by joining The Huddle which provides financial support directly to Houston Football for needs beyond its operating budget.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarFB on X, formerly known as Twitter, and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at Houston Cougar Football. Fans can also follow the team on Instagram at uhcougarfb.
Defensive lineman Carlos Allen Jr., defensive back Will James and kicker Ethan Sanchez highlighted the All-Texas First Team.
Allen, an All-Big 12 Conference Second-Team honoree, finished the regular season with the second most tackles nationally by a defensive lineman and the most by an interior defensive lineman with 75 tackles, the most by a Cougar interior lineman since at least 2005. Allen's 33 stops led all Texas interior linemen while his run-stop percentage of 8.4% led all Texas interior linemen.
After being named All-Big 12 Conference Second Team, James earned First-Team honors after becoming the first Cougar since 2015 with 4.0 TFLs and three interceptions on the season. James posted the best PFF coverage Grade in Texas, the second highest in the Big 12, and the 11th best nationally.
Sanchez earned All-Texas First-Team honors after being an Honorable Mention selection in the Big 12 following a 20-field goal season. Sanchez nailed three game-winning field goals and posted two 4+ field goal games while becoming the first Cougar to kick 20 field goals in a season since 2019.
Wide receiver Amare Thomas, tight end Tanner Koziol and defensive back Wrook Brown earned All-Texas Second-Team selections.
Koziol garnered All-Texas Second-Team accolades after he paced FBS tight ends with 65 receptions and finished second in the Big 12 with 651 receiving yards, both the most by a Cougar tight end since 2008. The Bloomingdale, Ill., native hauled in touchdown catches in five different games, including the first touchdown of the season against Stephen F. Austin.
Thomas earned All-Texas Second-Team honors after he finished second in the Big 12 with 10 receiving touchdowns and 906 receiving yards, both the most by a Cougar since 2022. The Birmingham, Ala., native hauled in three touchdowns of 50+ yards and scored six touchdowns of 20+ yards.
Brown, an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention, led Big 12 defensive backs with three sacks and finished fourth among Big 12 defensive backs with nine pressures. Brown's three sacks led Texas defensive backs in 2025 and his 82.0 PFF defense grade ranked ninth among Texas defensive backs.
UP NEXT
Houston's best season in five years continues as the #21 Cougars take on the LSU Tigers on Dec. 27 at 8:15 p.m. in the Kinder's Texas Bowl in NRG Stadium. The game will air on ESPN. Fans are encouraged to buy tickets through Houston Athletics beginning on Wednesday at uh.evenue.net/events/BOWL.
SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Football by providing NIL opportunities and by joining The Huddle which provides financial support directly to Houston Football for needs beyond its operating budget.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarFB on X, formerly known as Twitter, and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at Houston Cougar Football. Fans can also follow the team on Instagram at uhcougarfb.
–– UHCougars.com ––
Players Mentioned
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