Houston RB Brandon Campbell enters NCAA Transfer Portal

Houston running back Brandon Campbell officially entered the NCAA Transfer Portal on Wednesday, On3’s Pete Nakos has learned. He was a former four-star member of the 2021 recruiting class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. Campbell originally signed with the USC Trojans coming out of high school. His best season with the Cougars came in 2022, when he ran for 435 yards and four touchdowns on 90 carries. He also had eight runs of 10-plus yards.

The Houston native only had 46 rushing yards on 18 carries this year for the Cougars. Campbell excelled in run-blocking his freshman season, earning the No. 6 run-blocking grade in the nation, according to Pro Football Focus.

During his time with the Trojans, he had 12 carries for 53 yards. In his high school days at Katy Taylor High School (Katy, Texas), Campbell had 879 yards and 18 touchdowns on 116 carries as a junior. As a sophomore, he posted 676 yards and five touchdowns. He also hauled in 13 catches for 198 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games. Campbell opted out of his senior year of high school due to COVID-19.

According to the On3 Industry Rankings, he was rated as the No. 394 overall player in the America for the 2021 cycle. He fielded scholarship offers from some of the best, including Alabama, Ohio State and Texas.

Houston finished 4-8 in the 2023-2024 campaign. They finished 2-7 in the Big 12 Conference, finishing in 12th place.

They only lost to No. 8 Texas 31-24. Junior quarterback Donovan Smith led the way for the Cougars in that one with 378 yards and three touchdowns. Houston outgained Texas in total yards 392-360. They also battled in-state rival, the Baylor Bears, prevailing 25-24 in overtime. The Cougars also defeated UTSA, another team from the state of Texas, 17-14, in their season-opener.

Smith was a dynamic dual threat for the Cougars, also picking up 428 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. Running back Parker Jenkins led Houston in rushing this year with 464 yards and three touchdowns.

Houston’s Samuel Brown led the team in all-purpose yardage this year, racking up 815 receiving yards, averaging 67.9 yards per game. Donovan Smith led the team in total offense, racking up 3,229 total yards (269.1 yards per game).