With a school that has a storied history, there are plenty of legends to discuss. There are plenty to choose from from head coaches like Darrell K. Royal to Mack Brown and quarterbacks like James Street to Vince Young and Colt McCoy. We didn’t even dive into the legendary running back duo that won Heisman Trophies for their campaigns.
When choosing the top players of the modern era, one Texas Longhorn stood head and shoulders above the rest of the names you could put up. Vince Young put this team on his shoulders and carried them to the school’s fourth national championship ending USC’s dynasty.
Bill Connelly of ESPN ranked the top 25 players since 2000 and Vince Young landed at No. 4 overall.
What ESPN had to say…
2005 Davey O’Brien Award, 2005 Maxwell Award, 2005 first-team All-American, 2005 Big 12 offensive player of the year, 2005 first-team All-Big 12, 2005 national champion; 6,040 career passing yards and 44 TDs, 3,127 rushing yards and 37 TDs.
For the first half of his three seasons in Austin, Young was up and down, an incredible athlete who was inconsistent at actual quarterbacking. But midway through his sophomore season in 2004, everything fell into place. As a junior in 2005, Young became the first player to throw for at least 3,000 yards and rush for at least 1,000 in the same season — just five years earlier, it had been a big deal that Clemson’s Woody Dantzler hit even 2,000/1,000. And in Young’s final game, he threw for 267 yards and rushed for 200 and three scores as Texas knocked off USC in probably the greatest game of the 21st century.
A perfect ending to a perfect career arc.
Our Response…
Without a doubt, Vince Young is one of the top five players since 2000. However, I have a hard time ranking him behind a quarterback who never won a national championship. While Baker Mayfield did win a Heisman Trophy, VY was robbed of the trophy but got the last laugh over Reggie Bush when he led Texas to the BCS national championship in a game that many still talk about 20 years later.
Just missing out on this list is former Texas linebacker Derrick Johnson, who was a tackling machine for the Longhorns’ defense. The 2023 Hall of Fame inductee was a two-time All-American and 2004 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year tallied nine interceptions including one for a touchdown. He also finished No. 3 in Texas history with 458 career tackles and No. 1 with 65 TFLs.
It is a bit surprising to not see Colt McCoy listed, you could make an argument for the Longhorns’ all-time passing leader not being considered at all.