7 Best Texas Longhorns Football Players, Ranked

The Longhorns were atop the football odds to win the national championship following the 2023 season, but they fell short in the College Football Playoff semifinal against the Washington Huskies. 

If the Longhorns are as good as last year, their college football odds could be quite popular at the BetMGM online sportsbook. 

While the Longhorns are in the mix for a title, this team has had decades of success. Below are the best seven players in the program’s history. 

7 Best Texas Longhorns Football Players, Ranked

Texas Longhorns All-Time Greatest Football Players

1. Vince Young

The Longhorns have won four national championships, the most recent coming in 2005, with Vince Young leading the squad. 

In three seasons with the Longhorns, Young completed 444 of 718 passes for 6,040 yards, 44 touchdowns, and 28 interceptions and added 457 carries for 3,127 yards and 37 touchdowns. 

As a result of those stats, Young ranks seventh in passing yards, sixth in passing touchdowns, seventh in rushing yards, fourth in rushing touchdowns, third in total offence, and third in touchdowns responsible for. 

The Longhorns won the national title after beating No. 1 USC in the Rose Bowl, 41-38. Young had an eight-yard touchdown run with 19 seconds to go and converted a two-point conversion to go up by three. 

Young threw for 267 yards and rushed 19 times for 200 yards and three touchdowns in the unforgettable performance. 

As for accolades, he won the Maxwell Award, Manning Award, and Dave O’Brien Award, is in the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame, his No. 10 was retired by the school, and he’s in the College Football Hall of Fame. 

2. Ricky Williams

Williams was simply dominant while he was at Texas.

He was so dominant that New Orleans Saints head coach Mike Ditka traded the entire Saints draft to select him No. 5 overall in the 1999 NFL Draft.

Playing four seasons at Texas, Williams had 1,064 carries for 6,592 yards, 75 rushing touchdowns, and caught another four scores. 

To this day, he holds program records in rushing yards and rushing scores.

His 1998 season led to a Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, AP College Football Player of the Year, the Doak Walker Award, and he was a unanimous All-American. Williams’  No. 34 is retired by the Longhorns. 

3. Earl Campbell

I went back and forth between Campbell and Williams, but Campbell ultimately landed third here. 

In college, Campbell won the Heisman Trophy, Dave O’Brien Memorial Trophy, and Sporting News Player of the Year and was a unanimous All-American.

In addition to his No. 20 being retired, Campbell is in the Texas Sports, Houston Sports, Pro Football, and College Football Hall of Fame. 

Campbell ranks third in the Longhorns’ record books in both rushing yards (4,443) and rushing touchdowns (40).

4. Colt McCoy

In terms of statistics, McCoy is the best quarterback in Longhorns history. 

He has the record for the most passing yards (13,253), passing touchdowns (112), total offence (14,824), and touchdowns responsible for (132).  

He won the Maxwell Award, Davey O’Brien Award, Manning Award, Chic Harley Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Archie Griffin Award, two Walter Camp awards, and was a consensus and unanimous All-American.

His No. 12 was retired by the Longhorns. 

Sadly, his career at Texas ended after he left the national championship game against Alabama in the first quarter with a shoulder injury. 

5. Tommy Nobis

Nobis was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1966 NFL Draft after having a career at Texas that resulted in him being showered with awards. 

He won the national title in 1963, the Maxwell Award, Outland Trophy, Knute Rockne Memorial Trophy, was a consensus All-American, his No. 60 was retired by the school, and he’s in the College Football, Atlanta, Georgia, and Texas Hall of Fames. 

Nobis averaged about 20 tackles per game. 

6. Bobby Layne

During his time with Texas, Layne was a consensus All-American and had his No. 22 retired. 

He had 3,145 passing yards and 25 touchdowns in his career and is most remembered for the 1946 Cotton Bowl. Texas scored 40 points, and he was responsible for all of them. He had two passing touchdowns, three rushing scores, caught a 50-yard touchdown, and kicked four PATs. 

Layne also intercepted three passes in 1946 against Baylor, which is the second-most in any Longhorns game. 

7. James Street

Street was a multi-sport athlete at Texas, but as a football player, he was the 1969 Cotton Bowl Offensive Outstanding Player, and was the team MVP that season. 

Street also holds the best winning percentage of any Longhorns quarterback, winning 20 games without a loss. 

In his time with the Longhorns, he threw for 1,845 yards, 10 touchdowns, and rushed 192 times for 815 yards and 10 scores. 

Street also holds the following records: 

• Longest touchdown pass by a Longhorn in a bowl game (79 yards). 
• Most yards per pass attempt in a Cotton Bowl (15.4).
• Most yards on touchdown passes in a Cotton Bowl (157).