College Football’s Next Travis Hunter Is Headed To Houston — Paris Melvin Jr. Group Chat Bonds With His Future UH Teammates, Prepares For Three-Way Role

Paris Melvin Jr. is already close to his future University of Houston football teammates, bonding through a group chat with the fellow members of what’s going to be a historic 2026 recruiting class for second-year coach Willie Fritz. “We just always stay in contact,” Melvin tells PaperCity. “We’ve got a group chat we all be in. We text each other every day.

“After every game, we compare each other’s stats. We’re very competitive. I feel like this is the best class UH is bringing in — in history. . . We just looking to bring a championship to the crib.”

This four star three-way player (wide receiver, defensive back and kick returner) is excited to play with guys like five star quarterback Keisean Henderson, four star speedster Jayden Warren and so many others who are part of that ’26 group text. But Paris Melvin has been committed to Houston because he’s convinced Fritz and the UH coaching staff will give him every chance to become college football’s next Travis Hunter.

A real two way player who makes a regular impact on offense and defense — and, in Melvin’s case, special teams too.

“The main thing for me was getting a chance to actually play early one,” Melvin says. “And getting then be able to play both sides of the ball. I wasn’t really caught up in everything else everyone was selling. I’m really a simple guy. I just want to play football.”

To Paris Melvin Jr. that means coming off the field as little as possible. Fritz, wide receiver coach Derrick Sherman, defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong, cornerbacks coach PJ Hall and others all presented a consistent plan to Melvin that centered on how the Cougars would use him on both offense and defense.

“We just always stay in contact. We’ve got a group chat we all be in. We text each other every day. After every game, we compare each other’s stats. We’re very competitive. I feel like this is the best class UH is bringing in — in history. . . We just looking to bring a championship to the crib.” — UH commit Paris Melvin Jr.

Willie Fritz’s long history of being willing to defy conventional football thinking and see what other coaches could not or did not want to see (like keeping the athletic Michael Bishop at quarterback back in the day) helped too.

“They’re going to give him the opportunity to do the three way,” proud dad Paris Melvin Sr. tells PaperCity. “Play special teams, offense and defense. They’re going to give him the opportunity to be him.”

Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Arizona and Baylor all recruited Paris Melvin hard, but the UH coaches made him believe. In their vision for his game and how they’d use him. In a major winning future for UH. One that is already showing signs with the current Cougars of Conner Weigman, Carlos Allen Jr. and Co. sitting at 5-1 heading into Saturday’s 11 am homecoming game against Arizona (FS1).

It’s more than just a clear three-way plan or the winning vision that keep this highly-ranked commit tied to Houston though. During one recent UH game, Melvin’s 12-year-old brother was celebrating his birthday and he received plenty of happy Bday wishes.

“We feel the warmth,” Paris Melvin Sr. says. “Every time we’re here, they treat us like we’re at home. They treat us like family. So that’s a good fit for me.”

The Offense and Defense Plan

Travis Hunter became the Heisman winner by playing 1,523 snap — 750 on offense, 773 on defense — his final season at Colorado. Melvin doesn’t see that as a model as much as a why not? Why not push to rarely leave the field if you’re sure you can handle it. If it’s all you’ve done your whole football life.

“Ain’t no secret man,” Melvin says. “Really if you’ve got the heart and you really want to do it, you can do it I feel like. I’m blessed with a God-given ability to play both sides of the ball and I’m going to keep doing it for as long as I possibly can. I’m going to keep balling out.

“It’s something I’ve strived at.”

Melvin already has 12 touchdowns in six games for Cypress Springs High School this season, averaging more than 166 all-purpose yards per game. This 5-foot-11, 170-pounder is a highlight waiting to happen, someone who’s always seen the game in moments waiting to be grabbed.

He grew up watching highlights of Deion Sanders and sees current Dallas Cowboys star CeeDee Lamb as a wide receiver inspiration. Melvin appreciates those who bring excitement to the game. Blending in isn’t his thing.

“When people told him he couldn’t do something, he would always be like, ‘Watch me,’ ” Paris Melvin Sr. says. “And that was his motivation. I think the love of the game gives him the drive to play all three positions.”

This three-way player is also driven to be part of something new, a groundbreaking UH class that is already tight, already pushing each other to do more in that group chat. If one of them has a big game, they all try and better it. Knowing they soon will be playing together, trying to change everything at the university of their hometown city.

A number of the players in this 2026 Houston football freshmen class to be played in the same Little League together. They have know each other or known of each other since they were little kids. Them all coming together at UH is no coincidence.

“It’s just knowing at the end of the day what the end goal is,” Melvin says. “And what we really want to do. All of us coming from different programs, us really buying into UH and what they’ve got to offer.

“We all want to bring a championship and change where we come from.”

So the texts go flying back and forth on Thursday and Friday nights with Melvin, Keisean Henderson, Jayden Warren, Jaivion Martin, Jeremiah Bushnell and more comparing how their high school games went and connecting on who’s heading to the next UH football home game.

The three-way star is at the center of it all. You’ll often find Melvin with his Beat headphones pushed up off his ears, stylish black glasses on, as he mingles with his future Cougar teammates. He’s been doing this triple duty thing for years and has no plans on slowing down at Houston. The only thing Paris Melvin Jr. is uncertain of is whether catching a touchdown pass or intercepting a pass is a bigger thrill.

“I feel like catching touchdowns is harder,” Melvin tells PaperCity. “I feel like it mean more. But as a DB, taking the ball away means a lot more too. I can easily go out there and score on anybody. But taking the ball away. That means a lot more.”

Melvin grins, happy with the final result of his internal debate. Why force yourself to choose when you can do it all?