Houston lands transfer commitment from former USC running back Brandon Campbell
Former USC running back Brandon Campbell will transfer to Houston, he announced Monday via Twitter. Campbell posted a video of himself standing on at midfield on the Cougars logo, posing in a team jersey and also doing backflips.
The running back is a native of Katy, Texas, which is less than an hour drive to Houston. A former four-star prospect, he ranks as the No. 29 running back according to On3’s Transfer Portal Rankings. He was the No. 27 running back in the 2021 class according to On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
Campbell played in just three games during the 2021 season, preserving his redshirt. He is set to join the Cougars as a redshirt freshman after rushing for 53 yards on just 12 carries in his brief career with the Trojans. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound Campbell also caught one pass for a gain of 16 yards.
After being named first team All-District as a high school junior, Campbell opted out of playing his senior season in 2020. He still fielded scholarship offers from some of the best, including Alabama, Ohio State and Texas.
Houston is coming off of a 12-2 finish and Birmingham Bowl victory against Auburn this past season. The news of Brandon Campbell’s transfer comes just days after last year’s leading rusher, Alton McCaskill, suffered a torn ACL in spring practice. Luckily, the Cougars also return senior running back Ta’Zhawn Henry, who rushed for 524 yards and seven touchdowns in 2021, so Campbell won’t be entirely alone in the backfield.
The Cougars also bring back quarterback Clayton Tune, who led the AAC in completion percentage and finished second in passing yards this past season. With him back, along with top receiver Nathaniel “Tank” Dell, Houston is eyeing yet another appearance in the conference title game.
Campbell will get his first opportunity to show off his skills with his new team at Houston’s spring game on April 8. After that, the running back’s next chance will come in the season opener against UTSA on Sept. 3.