There’s been numerous highly-rated recruits who have had successful collegiate careers at the University of Texas since 2000. In fact, head coach Tom Herman has been able to close out the past few cycles with a top ten class in the nation.
Former head coaches Mack Brown and Charlie Strong have been the only others to steer the incoming freshman during that time period. Texas legends Vince Young, Colt McCoy, Cedric Benson, Jordan Shipley, Roy Williams, and many others have to be taken into consideration as the best players to wear the Texas uniform over the past 20 years.
We’ve already taken a look at the highest-rated individual recruits of all-time to play at Texas, but does that automatically include them among the best overall class? Not quite. Just as underrated prospects can surprisingly take the world by storm, high school superstars can sometimes flop at the collegiate level.
Therefore this is not a look to re-grade old classes based on college production, but to remember the top overall classes at the time courtesy of 247Sports Composite.
No. 1 – 2002
Coach: Mack Brown
Five-star players: 4
Four-star players: 13
Summary: Vince Young. With a rare perfect rating as a recruit, Young led the Longhorns to eventually win the 2005 National Championship. Young, Rod Wright, and and Justin Blalock were Consensus All-Americans out of this class. Brian Robison, Aaron Ross, David Thomas, Lyle Sendlein and Selvin Young were also contributors to the Longhorns most impactful class since 2000.
No. 2 – 2010
Coach: Mack Brown
Five-star players: 5
Four-star players: 16
Summary: According to 247Sports Composite, this was the No. 2 overall recruiting class in the nation at the time. It’s still to this day one of the highest-rated classes of all-time. Jackson Jeffcoat (All-American) and Jordan Hicks were the top-rated players in the 2010 class, it also included quarterback Case McCoy and wide receiver Mike Davis, who was a two-time member of the Biletnikoff Award watch list. Unfortunately, for as high as this class was graded, it under performed on the field as a whole.
No. 3 – 2012
Coach: Mack Brown
Five-star players: 2
Four-star players: 20
Summary: This was the No. 2 overall class nationally at the time, led by running back Johnathan Gray and defensive tackle Malcom Brown. A whopping 20 four-star recruits is quite an impressive haul, although very few players portrayed those same expectations onto the field.
If you were to take the ratings off of the table and strictly go by production on the field, our top classes would look much different.
No. 1 – 2002
As you saw above, this is by far the best recruiting class that Texas has had, both from a prospect grade standpoint as well as production on the field.
No. 2 – 2001
Many of the recruits in this class became the foundation for the National Championship team. It included one of the best running backs to ever play at Texas, Cedric Benson. Michael Huff and Aaron Ross also had successful collegiate careers. Other notable names from the 2001 class are Quan Cosby, Derrick Johnson, and Cedric Griffin.
No. 3 – 2005
For what Colt McCoy brought to the Texas program, he must be included in nearly any all-time discussion. Jamaal Charles and Jeremichael Finley joined McCoy in this class to put together one of the best offenses in Longhorns history.
No. 4 – 2004
Jordan Shipley and Brian Orakpo were the two primary recruits out of this particular class, but their play on the field spoke volumes. Shipley continues to hold several all-time records at Texas, while Orakpo was a monster bull-rushing defensive end.