Discussion: Fastest football players at Texas

[Bobby Burton]

Interesting topic.

I think Marquise Goodwin is the fastest I've seen in pads (if you include acceleration and 70-yard speed) followed by Jamaal Charles. Lam Jones and Goodwin are the only two Olympians of the group.

But I love the Herkie Walls and Eric Metcalf mentions. Metcalf was close to world class in the long jump.

Xavier Worthy's speed got on top of you very early but he didn't always separate at the top of his routes.

[CJ Vogel]

15 minutes ago, TexasTom said:

What's the name of the defensive back who transferred to Texas Tech his junior year?  One of the fastest high school 100 meters ever.

Tyler Owens. He had a wicked 100m time of 10.29

He ran a 4.35 at the 2024 combine I believe. 

[UTexas]

6 hours ago, Hank South said:

Ramonce Taylor as well. 

Possibly the most fluid runner I’ve ever seen on a football field.

[Alex Butler]

5 hours ago, cochamps said:

A little off subject, but Eric Metcalf was a great football player who did not have much supporting cast.  As a result I think he gets underrated, but he was dynamic with his speed, hands and wiggle in his hips.  He could make people miss him and out run them.

Yup, Tony Jones too

[Alex Butler]

42 minutes ago, Bobby Burton said:

Interesting topic.

I think Marquise Goodwin is the fastest I've seen in pads (if you include acceleration and 70-yard speed) followed by Jamaal Charles. Lam Jones and Goodwin are the only two Olympians of the group.

But I love the Herkie Walls and Eric Metcalf mentions. Metcalf was close to world class in the long jump.

Xavier Worthy's speed got on top of you very early but he didn't always separate at the top of his routes.

Jamaal and Marquise were a thing of beauty, absolutely incredible form and watching them just leave people in the dust is 🤘🐂🤩

[Burnt Orange Horn]

3 hours ago, Bunk Moreland said:

Jamaal Charles ran 10.13 in the 100m in high school. Also, he only played one year at Texas, but Edorian McCullough won the state 100m title and ran 10.02. Both of those times are faster than Johnny Lam Jones’s fastest auto times (his sub-10 times were all hand timed and subsequently revised upward).

I think it’s hard to argue against McCullough as the fastest Longhorn ever, with Charles and Jones as the next two.

I think track distances were still in yards when Johnny Lam Jones was timed.

[GoHorns1]

1 hour ago, TexasTom said:

What's the name of the defensive back who transferred to Texas Tech his junior year?  One of the fastest high school 100 meters ever.

Tyler Owns from Plano East 

Edited Sunday at 10:05 PM by GoHorns1

[GoHorns1]

3 hours ago, Bunk Moreland said:

Jamaal Charles ran 10.13 in the 100m in high school. Also, he only played one year at Texas, but Edorian McCullough won the state 100m title and ran 10.02. Both of those times are faster than Johnny Lam Jones’s fastest auto times (his sub-10 times were all hand timed and subsequently revised upward).

I think it’s hard to argue against McCullough as the fastest Longhorn ever, with Charles and Jones as the next two.

Johnny Jones state meet. was the 100 yards not meter and was 9.21 (hand timed)
Fast  100 meters was 9.85 but was hand timed and adjusted to 10.14

Edited Sunday at 10:15 PM by GoHorns1

[Robert Gilbert]

I was at the State Track Meet in 1976, watching future UT pole vaulter Kieth Sanders, and saw Lam Jones win three first places including a miraculous come from behind victory in the mile relay. I saw him win a Gold Medal at the Olympics later that summer.  Till one of the aforementioned athletes makes an Olympic team and wins a gold Medal, in a sprint, I will go with Lam Jones as being the fastest. 

[Here for the Wins]

2 hours ago, GoHorns1 said:

Johnny Jones state meet. was the 100 yards not meter and was 9.21 (hand timed)
Fast  100 meters was 9.85 but was hand timed and adjusted to 10.14

Did they adjust for running in bare feet?

[Glass Joe]

Edorian McCullough belongs on the list.  10.0 to win the state 100 championship.  

[TexasTom]

3 hours ago, Robert Gilbert said:

I was at the State Track Meet in 1976, watching future UT pole vaulter Kieth Sanders, and saw Lam Jones win three first places including a miraculous come from behind victory in the mile relay. I saw him win a Gold Medal at the Olympics later that summer.  Till one of the aforementioned athletes makes an Olympic team and wins a gold Medal, in a sprint, I will go with Lam Jones as being the fastest. 

I was at the '76 State Track Meet also.  His anchor leg on the mile relay was thrilling.

[jtortorice03]

Is Dillon Mitchel from CE King faster?

[ArizonaLonghorn]

5 hours ago, Robert Gilbert said:

I was at the State Track Meet in 1976, watching future UT pole vaulter Kieth Sanders, and saw Lam Jones win three first places including a miraculous come from behind victory in the mile relay. I saw him win a Gold Medal at the Olympics later that summer.  Till one of the aforementioned athletes makes an Olympic team and wins a gold Medal, in a sprint, I will go with Lam Jones as being the fastest. 

I attended UT while he was on campus.

Just to be clear on this, Lam was on the Olympic squad as a member of the 4 x 100 meter relay team which won the gold medal.  He ran the 2nd leg. 

He was an alternate in the individual sprint since only 3 sprinters per nation were allowed but when Houston McTear was injured Johnny took his place in the 100 meter dash and finished 6th, prompting the famous Coach Royal quip - "Only five guys in the world are faster and none of 'em play football."  His finals time is listed at 10.27, the podium guys ran 10.06, 10.08 and 10.14.  He ran three earlier races as the field was whittled down but this 10.27 was his fastest time.

Not trying to denigrate his Gold Medal achievement, just pointing out that he didn't win the gold in an individual sprint.

[Purplehorn3]

21 hours ago, cochamps said:

Uh, Johnny Lam Jones

dude got an Olympic Gold Medal

[Purplehorn3]

From my era:

 

Willie Mack Garza

Tony Jones

Eric Metcalf

[Robbin Antono]

Mike Adam and Shon Mitchell?

[Hank South]

9 hours ago, jtortorice03 said:

Is Dillon Mitchel from CE King faster?

Probably. 

[HookemDTX]

On 5/10/2026 at 9:31 AM, cochamps said:

Despite what is reported, not all us boomers have dementia (yet).😂

NEVER call yourself a Boomer on this board,sir!!!

[Oldest Horn]

Football fast: Ramonce 

[Jeff Howe]

I'll give a mention to Marcus Johnson. He went sub-4.4 at his pro day and had moments where the straight-line speed was electric. His career could've been very different if Texas had better and more consistent quarterback play while he was in the program.

[Jeff Howe]

Also, a shoutout to my guy Wane McGarity. He made Nebraska's secondary look slow in the '96 Big 12 title game and go back and look at his effort as a blocker on Ricky's record-breaking touchdown run against the Aggies in '98 (as Wane calls it, the most devastating block in the history of college football!).

[Jeff Howe]

16 hours ago, Glass Joe said:

Edorian McCullough belongs on the list.  10.0 to win the state 100 championship.  

I remember the debate between whether he or DaBryan Blanton was the fastest man in Texas in 2002.

[Robert Gilbert]

On 5/11/2026 at 12:04 AM, ArizonaLonghorn said:

I attended UT while he was on campus.

Just to be clear on this, Lam was on the Olympic squad as a member of the 4 x 100 meter relay team which won the gold medal.  He ran the 2nd leg. 

He was an alternate in the individual sprint since only 3 sprinters per nation were allowed but when Houston McTear was injured Johnny took his place in the 100 meter dash and finished 6th, prompting the famous Coach Royal quip - "Only five guys in the world are faster and none of 'em play football."  His finals time is listed at 10.27, the podium guys ran 10.06, 10.08 and 10.14.  He ran three earlier races as the field was whittled down but this 10.27 was his fastest time.

Not trying to denigrate his Gold Medal achievement, just pointing out that he didn't win the gold in an individual sprint.

My mistake, I meant to put sprint relay.