21 Days Until Kickoff: Who Was The Best No. 21?

[Blake Munroe]

Today’s number is a pretty strong one.

At No. 21, you’ve got Rod Babers, Blake Gideon, Duke Thomas and Ryan Niblett.

Babers probably has the strongest peak of the group, earning First-Team All-Big 12 honors in 2002, finishing that season with 21 pass breakups and becoming a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist.

Gideon was the model of consistency, starting 52 games during his Texas career while piling up 276 tackles, 10 interceptions and 20 PBUs. He was also a two-time team captain and a fixture on some of the best Texas teams of the late 2000s.

Duke Thomas put together a very solid final two seasons, earning Honorable Mention All-Big 12 twice, starting 25 games over that stretch and finishing 2014 with 3 interceptions and 10 PBUs.

And Ryan Niblett has already added a major accolade to the No. 21 legacy, earning FWAA First-Team All-America honors in 2025 as a return specialist while also being named Second-Team All-SEC.

So who yall got?

[Robbin Antono]

Gotta be ours Rod Babers 🤘🏼🤘🏼

[Blake Munroe]

1 hour ago, Robbin Antono said:

Gotta be ours Rod Babers 🤘🏼🤘🏼

I figured he’d be the popular vote today!

[Guts]

Defo our boy Rob

[Alex Butler]

@Rod Babers and it ain’t that close. Niblett and Gideon in distant second 

[Midhorn75]

One from way back I’d Joe Dixon. Played both ways 62-64.

[Jeff Howe]

The best No. 21 in the history of Texas football!

 

[General Grant]

Rod B was an important recruit from Houston best I recall.  Seemed like a big one at the time. And love Rod B.  He talks football in a way I can follow. 

[Alex Butler]

3 minutes ago, Jeff Howe said:

The best No. 21 in the history of Texas football!

 

I was right there in the end zone when this happened! I can almost see myself in the crowd haha. That stupid return and some BAD misses by Simms in the second half lost us that damn game. 😔