NEW YORK — UTSA redshirt junior tight end Houston Thomas has been chosen for the John Mackey Award Watch List, which was unveiled on Friday.
Thomas is one of 46 FBS tight ends selected to the preseason watch list for the award that is presented annually to the best tight end in college football.
Last season, Thomas played in all 13 games and earned nine starts at tight end. He caught 34 passes for 470 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 13.8 yards per reception on the year. He had at least one catch in all 13 games with three or more receptions in a half dozen contests.
Thomas recorded his first career 100-yard receiving game with 132 yards on six catches at Tulsa, and he found the end zone twice in the 44-36 win over No. 25 Memphis, hauling in six passes for 44 yards. He was on the receiving end of two passes for 43 yards at Rice, including a 38-yard score in the fourth quarter, and he tallied 63 yards on three catches in the 38-24 home triumph over Florida Atlantic. He capped the campaign by catching a pair of passes for 27 yards in the 44-15 win over Coastal Carolina in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.
The John Mackey Award was established in 2000 by the Nassau County Sports Commission, and it honors the legacy of NFL Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey. The recipient of the award will be presented at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show, Friday, Dec. 12, on ESPN.
The John Mackey Award Selection Committee is comprised of sportswriters, college football analyst, and former John Mackey Award winners. The 11 Committee Members are Jerry Mackey (Chairman), Charles Arbuckle, Dallas Clark, Lee Corso, Tom Dienhart, Tim Stratton, Daniel Graham, Marc Connolly, Phil Steele, Dick Weiss, Jake Butts. For more information about the John Mackey Award visit johnmackeyaward.com.
The John Mackey Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football’s most prestigious awards. The NCFAA’s 25 awards have honored more than 950 recipients since 1935. Visit NCFAA.org for more information.
UTSA will kick off its 15th season of football and sixth year under head coach Jeff Traylor against Texas A&M at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 30, in what will be a national televised matchup on ESPN live from Kyle Field in College Station
The Roadrunners then will return home to host back-to-back games at the Alamodome where they boast a 29-3 record in the Jeff Traylor era, tied for the third-most home victories among FBS teams since 2020. UTSA will face Texas State in the Battle for I-35 at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6, before they match up with crosstown foe UIW at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13.
UTSA has four league games on the home slate with Rice (Oct. 11), Tulane (Oct. 30), East Carolina (Nov. 22) and Army (Nov. 28 or 29) scheduled to visit the Alamodome.
Fans can purchase season or single-game tickets online or by calling the UTSA Ticket Office at 210-458-UTSA (8872) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday excluding holidays. Current UTSA football season-ticket holders may renew their tickets by logging into their UTSA Account Manager.
Current UTSA students receive free admission to all home games by downloading tickets via their Account Manager.
Merchandise commemorating UTSA Football’s 15th season and featuring the official logo of the milestone campaign is available for purchase.
Roadrunners on 2025 Preseason Watch Lists
Camron Cooper — Allstate AFCA Good Works Team; Allstate Wuerffel Trophy
Robert Henry Jr. — Shrine Bowl 1000; Doak Walker Award
Owen McCown — Maxwell Award; Davey O’Brien Award
Willie McCoy III — Paul Hornung Award
Houston Thomas — John Mackey Award
-UTSA-