On Texas Football's Top 25 Players of the Modern Era (1992-Present)

2 hours ago, Blake Munroe said:

I get it. And that was just a tad before my time lol. I was 7 his final year. 
 

But he’s also automatically disqualified from the list, as he didn’t play in the modern era. I guess technically 1992, but 75% of his career was pre-poll. 

My post should have it was not a lack of physical talent rather than it was.

He’s not top 25.  But undefeated versus OU always worth a mention.

Where did the guys have Ehlinger? Seems like an NFL list a bit. I know Bobby hates Tebow. Tebow is one of the best winners of all time had a lot of Bobby Layne and James Street to him.

2 hours ago, Here for the Wins said:

Blake, you have no idea how shitty the QB landscape was in the state of Texas at that time.  High school and college.  And it was lack of physical talent.

Quinn also had an expiration date at Texas. He could have been better than Carson beck for a nice payday. Instead he went late. It meant something to him. Quinn is a special dude. 

14 hours ago, Blake Munroe said:

After combining ten individual Top 25 ballots from the On Texas Football staff into one composite ranking, we now have our Top 25 Players of the Modern Era list. Each ballot was scored on a 25-to-1 points system, with 25 points awarded for a first-place vote, 24 for second place and so on.

At the top, two of the most iconic players in Texas football history separated themselves from the rest of the field.

Vince Young finished No. 1 overall, narrowly edging Ricky Williams for the top spot. Young totaled 247 points across the 10 ballots, while Williams finished just four points behind with 243.

Young received seven first-place votes, while Williams received the other three. Every voter ranked both players either first or second.

Behind them, Colt McCoy came in at No. 3 with 227 points, followed closely by Derrick Johnson at No. 4 with 223.

The top four created a clear consensus among the OTF staff, but the rankings became much tighter from there.

Cedric Benson rounded out the top five, followed by Bijan Robinson, Casey Hampton, Michael Huff, Kelvin Banks Jr. and Brian Orakpo.

Banks, Orakpo and Earl Thomas were separated by just one point, with Banks finishing ninth at 160 points and Orakpo and Thomas tying at 159. Orakpo earned the No. 10 spot through the composite tiebreaker (using the highest individual placement on any ballot).

The list features players spanning more than three decades of Texas football, from stars of the early 1990s to members of the Longhorns' recent College Football Playoff teams.

It also highlights just how difficult it is to compare players across positions and eras.

Quarterbacks and running backs dominate the very top of the ranking, but the Top 25 also includes elite linebackers, defensive backs, offensive linemen and defensive linemen who helped define their respective eras.

Still, the biggest debate may be the one at the very top.

Williams owns one of the greatest individual résumés in college football history, including the 1998 Heisman Trophy, while Young delivered perhaps the most iconic season and championship performance Texas football has ever seen.

When the votes were totaled, Young had just enough support to claim the title of On Texas Football's No. 1 Longhorn.

 

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Casey Hampton, D'Onta Foreman and Dan Neil have one thing in common.  They had to be pretty damn good to play under the dark coaching days of Texas and still make the list.  I opted not to include Ricky because Mack was at the helm when he broke out and won the Heisman.  The one guy that comes to mind when talking dark days of coaching is Britt Hager, yes prior to 1992, but nonetheless, he jumps out instantly in my brain. 

Brian Robison should be on that list. 

19 hours ago, Blake Munroe said:

Someone voted Quinn No. 1… in the fan vote.

Ill release the fan vote tomorrow. 

Quinn makes the top 5 qb's in Texas history, for me. Vince, Colt, Major, Quinn and Sam. Honorable mention is a battle between Simms and Brown. Anybody argue with that?

On 8/11/2026 at 10:21 PM, Blake Munroe said:

Good observation. It will be interesting to see if we see a DFW switch over the next decade or not. 

I hope not. I want us in Htown more heavily than we are now.