Senior defensive lineman on Houston's 2026 roster.
6′2″ · 340 lb · Tulsa, OK · Union HS
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
sacks · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 4 tackles, at Texas Tech
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior defensive lineman on Houston's 2026 roster.
De'Marion Thomas
Controls the point of attack and doesn't move. Three head coaches in four seasons, at three different programs. The receipt: 4 tackles against Texas Tech — Week 3, 2026.
8 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
6 programs, one constant: he played.
Career arc
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Dana Holgorsen → Willie Fritz. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Houston
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Houston | 8 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Oklahoma State | 13 | 3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Vanderbilt | 36 | 14 | 1.5 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Vanderbilt | 7 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 64 | 23 | 2.5 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
Game by game
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 33-20vs Oregon State | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 77-6vs Southern | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | L 26-28@ Texas Tech | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 4 tackles |
| Total | 8 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 77–6
vs Southern
2 tackles · 1 solo tackles
Dominant 71-point win at home against Southern.
With K. Henderson — 83 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 23.8 · 54 rush yds (1 car) · 1 TD · C. Weigman — 120 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 48.3 · 6 rush yds (1 car)
Since week 2: +4 tackles.
Season context · Team result + system
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Road1g | 4.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 2.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Willie Fritz
Pass share
42.1%
88 pass / 121 run
Plays / game
69.7
3 games
Team sack rate
4.1%
97 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Player standing · 2025
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Play style
The heaviest frame on the interior. Sack production is intentionally not the point of this profile.
CFB Index positional classification
Player DNA
The heaviest frame on the interior. Sack production is intentionally not the point of this profile.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Robert Cooper’s 2022 season.
Matches Robert on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Justin Rogers's junior season at Kentucky (2022).
Matches Justin on
Player DNA
Prior to UH Spent the 2025 season at Oklahoma State and his first two collegiate seasons at Vanderbilt 13 tackles and 0.5 TFL in four games for Oklahoma State in 2025 Started 13 games at Vanderbilt in 2024, played in 23 total games for the Commodores 34 tackles 1.5 sacks in 2024 at Vanderbilt…
11 more on the roster · Houston team page