The Houston Cougars' secondary this year is full of experienced talent across the board. Junior cornerback Will James is expected to lead the cornerback group as a preseason All-Big 12 member, while senior Kentrell Webb and junior Jordan Allen remain as two key pieces in that position room.
Houston needed to add another starting corner to the mix after Latrell McCutchin Sr. moved on to the NFL, and the Cougars may have found it in a determined transfer from Stephen F. Austin. Senior Jalen Mayo has had quite the journey in college football to get to this point.
He spent last year at the FCS level with SFA and became an FCS second-team All-American member. Mayo had 47 total tackles, nine passes defended, four interceptions and one forced fumble. Mayo's strong season helped him make it on the All-Southland Conference First Team.
It's clear that his performance against Houston in last year's season opener caught the Cougars' attention. Mayo made three tackles as well as a TFL in that 27-0 loss suffered by SFA. It was not easy for Mayo to make it up to this point, now poised to play cornerback for a Power 4 school in the Big 12 in Houston.
The Hampton, Va., native went to Phoebus High School and helped lead them to a 2021 Virginia Class 3 State Championship. However, as detailed by Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle, Mayo received "zero offers" and got no interest from any colleges out of high school.
"My grades weren't really that good," Mayo said to Duarte.
While no Division I schools came calling, Mayo got his only offer from a Division II school. Virginia Union, an HBCU about 77 miles from his hometown. Given it was his only option and just over an hour away, Mayo had to take it to continue his football dreams.
He spent three seasons at Virginia Union and helped lead the Panthers to back-to-back Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) titles. Mayo made 75 tackles over those three years and led Virginia Union with seven pass breakups (PBU's) in 2024 before getting an offer and transferring to SFA.
His cornerbacks coach at SFA was Marcus Trice, who is now the new secondary coach at Houston. A few weeks after Trice joined coach Willie Fritz's staff, Mayo officially committed and signed to the Cougars as a three-star transfer. Having the same position coach should help him make an even smoother transition.
Mayo has played at three levels of college football, and being a potential starter at Houston is his biggest opportunity yet. Mayo's experience and hard work will likely make him a good addition to this secondary.
Mayo isn't the first Houston player who's come through this kind of route. It's not a straight path for many athletes. Former UH star wide receiver and now Houston Texan Tank Dell went through playing for a JUCO at the start of his collegiate career. One season at Houston could be all that Mayo needs for his talent to be truly recognized.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/houston as Jalen Mayo's Incredible Journey From No Offers to Starting Cornerback at Houston .
