Houston defensive lineman Carmello Brooks was arrested Thursday on assault charges and has been suspended from the football program, according to Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle.
Brooks did not make the trip to Lubbock for Houston’s Friday night Big 12 matchup against Texas Tech.
Duarte reported the news prior to Houston’s 28-26 loss to the Red Raiders, adding that a Houston spokesperson confirmed Brooks’ arrest.
The specific circumstances surrounding the arrest were not immediately available. Brooks’ status with the program beyond his current suspension is also unclear.
Brooks is a redshirt freshman defensive lineman for the Cougars and is in his second season with the Houston football program. Brooks, a 6-foot-3, 275-pound sophomore from Katy, Texas, redshirted and did not appear in a game during the 2025 season, and Houston does not list any statistics for him so far in 2026.
The news adds an off-field issue for Houston following its first loss of the 2026 season. The No. 22 Cougars entered Friday night’s matchup 2-0 before falling just short against No. 13 Texas Tech in a back-and-forth game in Lubbock.
Houston trailed 28-20 in the fourth quarter before cutting the deficit to two points late, but the Cougars were unable to complete the comeback.
Houston will now have to determine Brooks’ status moving forward as the Cougars continue get set to take on Georgia Southern next Saturday, before getting back into Big 12 play by hosting UCF the following week, on October 3rd.
More information on the arrest and any additional discipline from the university could become available in the coming days.
