Players announced for 2025 NFL draft from Houston ft. Donovan Smith, Maliq Carr, and more

The Houston Cougars have had three coaches in as many seasons, and things have not been going well. After finishing 4-8 in 2023 under Dana Holgorsen, he was fired and replaced by Willie Fritz. However, the team did not perform better, finishing with four wins and tied for 11th in the Big 12.

If the team is going to rebuild and become more competitive in the Big 12, it will need to make some major adjustments for next season. Notably, it must replace some players leaving for the 2025 NFL draft.

Players announced for the 2025 NFL draft from Houston

Donovan Smith

The most prominent player from the Houston Cougars entering the 2025 NFL draft is quarterback Donovan Smith. The Cougars need to find a new starting quarterback because Smith has declared for the draft and will not return to their offense next season.

Smith is the only player Pro Football Focus has ranked from Houston. They have him as the 285-ranked player in the draft, meaning they see his chances of getting drafted as borderline.

Smith spent the past two seasons with the Cougars after transferring to Houston before the 2023 season. He spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons with the Texas Tech Red Raiders. This past season, Smith had his playing time limited by injuries, completing 87 of 133 passes for 867 yards and four TDs. In his first season at Houston, he completed 256 of 397 passes for 2801 yards and 22 TDs.

Maliq Carr

Tight end Maliq Carr finished his fifth college season in 2024 and is entering the 2025 NFL draft. 2024 was Carr's first season with the Cougars. He started his career with Purdue in 2020 before transferring to Michigan State. He would spend three years there before transferring to Houston this past offseason. He had 19 receptions for 186 yards and one TD this year.

Kendre Gant

Linebacker Kendre Gant announced he would enter the 2025 NFL draft, foregoing his final year of NCAA eligibility. It is an interesting move, considering Gant only played five games this season due to injuries.

After spending the previous two years at Louisiana, this was his first season with the Cougars. In five games, he registered 16 tackles, including seven solo efforts and one pass defended. He is expected to go undrafted.