Ranking the 15 greatest Texas players ever, from Vince Young to Earl Campbell

Texas has six players who had their jersey retired, and all of them have a case as the greatest player in school history. 

Quarterbacks such as Colt McCoy, Bobby Layne and Vince Young. Running backs such as Earl Campbell and Ricky Williams. Of course, linebacker Tommy Nobis is a legend, too. If you put any one of those players at No. 1, we would hear the argument. 

Young and Nobis won national championships. Williams and Campbell won the Heisman Trophy. Layne and McCoy were among the most-decorated QBs of their era. Good luck picking the best player, right? 

Our list of Texas' greatest players of all time is home grown. A total of 14 of the 15 players were born in the Lone Star State. The high school tradition is unmatched, and this list might be different depending on what corner of the state you are in. 

We landed on 15 Texas players who stood out above the rest. Here was the formula Sporting News used to determine the top players for each school: 

• Heisman Trophy winner: 10 points
• Heisman top-five finish: 2nd place (4 points), 3rd place (3 points), 4th place (2 points), 5th place (1 point) 
• Major awards (3 points): Maxwell, Walter Camp, Doak Walker, Davey O'Brien, Unitas, Biletnikoff, Mackey, Outland, Lombardi, Rimington, Outland, Bednarik, Nagurski, Butkus, Thorpe, Groza, Guy, Hendricks, Campbell, Lott, Hornung, Wuerffel, Manning
• Consensus All-American: 3 points
• Legacy (15-1 points, AP Poll style with first place receiving 15 points): A subjective ranking of those players' standing in school history. 
• Stats (15-1 points, AP Poll style): A subjective look at a player's statistics by era. Are they a school record-holder? 

MORE: Ranking the 16 greatest Michigan players of all time

15. Scott Appleton, T (1961-63)

Texas accolades: Heisman Trophy fifth place (1963), Consensus All-American (1963), Outland Trophy (1963)

Why he made SN's list: Scott Appleton — a 6-foot-3, 260-pound tackle — was a Southwest Conference legend. He was the lead blocker for Tommy Ford for the Longhorns' national championship team in 1963 under Darrell Royal. Texas finished 11-0 that season and finished 30-2-1 in the three seasons in which Appleton was there. 

Place in Longhorns' history: Appleton — a Brady, Texas, native — became the first of five Outland Trophy winners at Texas in his senior season. Tommy Nobis, Brad Shearer, T'Vondre Sweat and Kelvin Banks — who won the award last season — have followed that standard. 

MORE: Ranking the 15 greatest Ohio State players of all time

14. Roosevelt Leaks, RB (1972-74) 

Texas accolades: Heisman Trophy third place (1973), Consensus All-American (1973) 

Why he made SN's list: Roosevelt Leaks — a 5-foot-11, 220-pound running back — rushed for 1,099 yards and eight TDs in 1972, and he finished with 1,415 yards and 14 TDs the following season. The Brenham, Texas, native was the Southwest Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 1973. Leaks rushed for 342 yards in a 42-14 victory against SMU on Nov. 3, 1973. 

Place in Longhorns' history: Julius Whittier was Texas' first black football player in 1969. Leaks was among the first superstars for the program, and that set the stage for Earl Campbell in 1974. Leaks' place in Texas history would be even higher if not for a knee injury before his senior season. Leaks still rushed for 409 yards and four TDs that year. 

MORE: Revisiting 2011 rivalry game against Texas A&M

13. Cedric Benson, RB (2001-04) 

Texas accolades: Doak Walker Award (2004) 

Why he made SN's list: Cedric Benson — a Midland, Texas native — rushed for 1,000-plus yards all four years for the Longhorns. He finished with 5,540 rushing yards — which ranks second all time in school history. The Longhorns were 43-8 in those four seasons under Mack Brown, and Benson was the ultimate workhorse for those four seasons. 

Place in Longhorns' history: Benson won the Doak Walker Award despite not being a Consensus All-American in 2004. Texas fans will never forget when Benson erupted for 283 yards and four TDs in a 46-15 victory against Texas A&M on Nov. 28, 2003. Benson helped Texas beat Michigan 38-37 in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 2005 — which set the table for the Longhorns' national championship run the following season. 

MORE: Sports world mourns the unexpected death of Cedric Benson

12. Jerry Sisemore, T (1970-72) 

Texas accolades: Consensus All-American (1971-72) 

Why he made SN's list: Jerry Sisemore — an Olton, Texas native — is one of the most-decorated offensive linemen in Southwest Conference history. The 6-foot-4, 265-pound tackle broke into the starting lineup on the 1970 team that split the national championship with Nebraska. Sisemore was a Unanimous All-American in 1971 and 1972. 

Place in Longhorns' history: Sisemore starred in high school at Plainview, Texas and according to the National Football Foundation, Texas coach Darrell Royal "tracked down Sisemore's father in a West Texas oil field" to land the prized recruit. Sisemore delivered, and he went on to a 12-year career with the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL. 

MORE: Ranking the 17 greatest Eagles players of all time

11. Steve McMichael, DT (1975-79) 

Texas accolades: Consensus All-American (1979) 

Why he made SN's list: Steve McMichael — a Freer, Texas, native — developed into a nasty interior defensive lineman for the Longhorns as a five-year player. He totaled 369 tackles, including a team-best 142 tackles in 1978. McMichael also had 28.5 career sacks from the interior, which ranks sixth in school history. He had 6.5 tackles for loss in a game against Texas Tech on Nov. 3, 1979. 

Place in Longhorns' history: McMichael — or "Mongo" — went on to be a key player on the Chicago Bears' Super Bowl team in 1985. He's still a Longhorns' legend first, however, and he even displayed his athleticism by hitting 8 of 10 extra points and two field goals as the backup kicker in 1977. 

MORE: Ranking the 17 greatest Bears players of all time

10. Tony Degrate, DT (1982-84)

Texas accolades: Consensus All-American (1984), Lombardi Award (1984) 

Why he made SN's list: Tony Degrate — a Snyder, Texas native — had one of the greatest individual seasons in Texas history in 1984. He finished with 147 tackles and 12 sacks. He was a key piece for the 1983 team, which finished 11-1 and won the Southwest Conference with a perfect 8-0 record. 

Place in Longhorns' history: Degrate was teammates with Kenneth Sims and part of a run of outstanding Texas interior defensive linemen who played under coach Fred Akers. He remains a fan favorite in Austin today. 

MORE: Breaking down the Heisman Trophy winners by school

9. Jerry Gray, CB (1981-84) 

Texas accolades: Consensus All-American (1983-84) 

Why he made SN's list: Jerry Gray was a Unanimous All-America selection in 1984. The Lubbock, Texas, native had seven interceptions that season. He finished with 16 interceptions, but he also finished with 297 tackles in this career. He was the all-around cornerback and the standard at the position for the program. 

Place in Longhorns' history: From 1980-84, Texas produced four first-round picks in the secondary. Gray went on to a 10-year NFL career and was the 1990 Pro Bowl MVP. He continues to enjoy a lengthy career as an assistant coach in the NFL. 

MORE: How often do players win both the Maxwell and Heisman Awards?

8. Kenneth Sims, DT (1978-81) 

Texas accolades: Consensus All-American (1980, 1981), Lombardi Award (1981) 

Why he made SN's list: Kenneth Sims — a Groesbeck, Texas native — followed McMichael and preceded Degrate — and he compiled 29 sacks as part of a dominant four-year career for the Longhorns. Sims was the centerpiece of the 1981 team, which finished 10-1-1 and beat Alabama 14-12 in the 1982 Cotton Bowl. 

Place in Longhorns' history: The 6-foot-6, 265-pound defensive lineman finished with 322 tackles and 29 sacks, and he was the third player in school history to be selected with the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. Sims passed away on March 21, 2025. 

MORE: How becoming sober helped Steve Sarkisian get Texas to the College Football Playoff

7. Derrick Johnson, LB (2001-04) 

Texas accolades: Butkus Award (2004), Nagurski Trophy (2004), Consensus All-American (2003-04) 

Why he made SN's list: Derrick Johnson — a Waco, Texas, native — was the consummate four-year linebacker under Mack Brown at Texas. He was the standard at weak-side linebacker who just made plays. Johnson finished with 458 career tackles — and he had three straight seasons with 100-plus tackles from 2002-04. That included a career-high 18 tackles against Oklahoma State on Nov. 6, 2004. 

Place in Longhorns' history: Johnson — like Benson — was part of the group that helped set up the national championship run in 2005. Johnson went on to a 14-year career in the NFL, where he was the same steady presence for the Kansas City Chiefs.

MORE: Derrick Johnson signed a 1-day deal to retire with the Chiefs

6. Bobby Layne, QB (1944-47) 

Texas accolades: Consensus All-America (1947) 

Why he made SN's list: If they had all the QB awards in Bobby Layne's day, then he would be higher on this list. The Dallas native was a two-sport star at Texas, and the Longhorns were 28-4 from 1945-47 with a pair of Sugar Bowl victories. Layne had 181 yards passing and 53 yards rushing in a 27-7 victory against Alabama in the 1948 Cotton Bowl.

Place in Longhorns' history: Layne is a Texas icon, and he finished his career with 3,145 passing yards and 25 TDs. He was the No. 3 pick in the 1948 NFL Draft and went on to become a three-time NFL champion with the Detroit Lions. 

MORE: Why is Matthew McConaughey a Texas Longhorns fan?

5. Tommy Nobis, LB (1963-65) 

Texas accolades: Maxwell Award (1965), Outland Trophy (1965), Consensus All-American (1965)

Why he made SN's list: Tommy Nobis — a  San Antonio native — still carries a strong legacy in Texas. He was a two-way player at guard and linebacker for the national championship team in 1963. He had seven tackles in the 28-6 victory against Roger Staubach-led Navy in the 1964 Cotton Bowl.

Place in Longhorns' history: Nobis was the school's first No. 1 draft pick — and he had an 11-year career with the Atlanta Falcons. He is considered the greatest defensive player in school history 60 years after his playing career ended. 

MORE: Ranking the 16 greatest Alabama players of all time

4. Colt McCoy, QB (2006-09) 

Texas accolades: Heisman Trophy second place (2008), Heisman Trophy third place (2009), Walter Camp Award (2008, 2009), Maxwell Award (2009), Davey O'Brien Award (2009), Johnny Unitas Award (2009), Manning Award (2009) 

Why he made SN's list: Colt McCoy had the unenviable task of replacing Vince Young, but the four-year starter lived up to the task. McCoy was 45-8 as a starter at Texas, and he finished with 13,253 passing yards, 112 TDs and 45 interceptions. He was an exciting playmaker who piled up the awards during his senior season in 2009. 

Place in Longhorns' history: Of course, McCoy is the center of a "what-if" debate that continues at Texas. He suffered a shoulder injury in the first quarter of the 2010 BCS championship game, which Alabama ultimately won 37-21. McCoy, however, is all over the Texas record book and finished with a 70.3% completion percentage. He is one of the most-efficient FBS quarterbacks of all time. 

MORE: Complete history of players to win the Heisman by year

3. Earl Campbell, RB (1974-77) 

Texas accolades: Heisman Trophy winner (1977), Davey O'Brien Trophy (1977), Consensus All-American (1977) 

Why he made SN's list: Earl Campbell might be the most-beloved Texas player on this list. Campbell earned the nickname the "Tyler Rose," and he was a high-school legend for his physical running style. Campbell stood out during the golden age of running backs in the 1970s. Campbell finished with 4,443 yards and 40 TDs — including 1,744 yards and 18 TDs in 1977. 

Place in Longhorns' history: Campbell helped break the losing streak to Oklahoma that stretched back to 1971. The teams played to a 6-6 tie in 1976, and Campbell rushed for 124 yards and the game's only TD in a 13-6 victory on Oct. 8, 1977. Campbell went on to be the No. 1 pick in the 1978 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers — where his Texas legend only grew. 

MORE: Who is on the Mount Rushmore of Houston sports?

2. Vince Young, QB (2003-05) 

(Getty Images)

Texas accolades: Heisman Trophy second place (2005), Maxwell Award (2005), Davey O'Brien Award (2005), Consensus All-American (2005) 

Why he made SN's list: Young — a Houston native — led the Longhorns to their last national championship in a thrilling 41-38 shootout at the 2006 Rose Bowl. Young had 267 passing yards, 200 rushing yards and three rushing TDs — including the game-winner on 4th-and-5 from the 8-yard line. That was part of a season in which Young finished with 3,036 passing yards, 1,050 rushing yards and 38 total TDs. 

Place in Longhorns' history: Our formula disagrees — mainly because Young did not win the Heisman Trophy — but if you want to put Young at No. 1 on this list, we would not put up a fight. He called his shot — "We'll be back" — after the 2005 Rose Bowl against Michigan and delivered in what is widely considered the greatest football game of all time. That legacy has not dwindled 20 years later. 

MORE: The biggest national championship game upsets since 1998

1. Ricky Williams, RB (1995-98) 

Texas accolades: Heisman Trophy winner (1998), Heisman Trophy fifth place (1997), Maxwell Award (1998), Walter Camp Award (1998), Doak Walker Award (1997, 1998). 

Why he made SN's list: Taking Ricky Williams over Young is controversial. We get that. Still, Williams — a 5-foot-10, 226-pound running back — is the most-decorated running back in Texas history. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1998 after rushing for 2,327 yards and 27 TDs. He set the NCAA rushing record with 6,279 yards, which Wisconsin's Ron Dayne would break in 1999. In 2019, Sporting News ranked Williams as the No. 3 running back in college football history behind Georgia's Herschel Walker and Pitt's Tony Dorsett. 

Place in Longhorns' history: Williams — a San Diego native — is the only out-of-state player on this list. Yet, the impact he made in those four years helped establish the Mack Brown era in 1998. He had an iconic moment when he honored the late Doak Walker on Oct. 3, 1998, and rushed for a school-record 350 yards against Iowa State. 

MORE: Ricky Williams' Heisman goes auctioned off for $504K