With No. 1 Texas set to face No. 3 Ohio State in the biggest game of the year — and with the showdown airing on FOX — we asked Joel Klatt to do something special: build his all-time Texas Longhorns football team.
From legends like Tommy Nobis and Vince Young to modern stars, Klatt had tough choices to make as he pieced together an all-time team from one of college football’s most tradition-rich programs.
Joel Klatt’s All-Time Texas Team
Head coach: Mack Brown
Klatt’s case: “He’s one of the classiest guys ever. He won a national championship and had sustained success for a decade — winning 10 games every single year.”
Brown set a high standard at Texas throughout his 16-year tenure from 1998-2013. He finished with the second most wins of any Longhorns coach (158), only behind Darrell Royal. He developed Longhorn greats such as Colt McCoy and Vince Young.
Mack Brown won 158 games during his 16 years as the Texas head coach. (Photo by: Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
ADVERTISEMENT
Quarterback: Vince Young
Klatt’s Case: “Vince Young was the single greatest college football player I played against.”
Klatt, who was a former quarterback at the University of Colorado, played his final college game against Young and the Longhorns. Young was consistent across all three seasons he played at Texas, but his senior year was one of the best individual college seasons of all time. He completed 65.2% of his passes for 3,036 yards and 26 touchdowns, adding 1,050 yards and 12 TDs on the ground. He led the NCAA in yards per completion while earning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year honors. Young led the Longhorns past the USC Trojans in the 2005 national championship game.
Vince Young led Texas to its latest National Championship victory, in 2005. (Photo by Karl Wright /Icon SMI/Icon Sport Media via Getty Images)
Running back: Ricky Williams
Klatt’s Case: “In that Heisman year, [Williams] was spectacular. Ricky Williams was so productive at Texas.”
Williams is the natural choice as he’s Texas’ all-time leader in rushing yards, racking up 6,279 yards in his career. He dominated during his junior year, leading the NCAA in rushing yards (1,893) and rushing touchdowns (25). He topped that season as a senior, leading the nation again with 2,124 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy.
Ricky Williams led the NCAA in rushing yards twice, as a junior and senior. (Photo by Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Defender: Tommy Nobis
Klatt’s Case: “Tommy Nobis was outstanding … He’s got his number retired. He’s a College Football Hall of Famer.”
Nobis was a physically imposing linebacker. In 1963, he was the only sophomore starter on a Longhorns team that won the National Championship. During the 1965 season, he won the Maxwell Award.
Tommy Noobis won a national championship with Texas in 1963. (Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images)
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
What did you think of this story?
recommended
Get more from the College Football Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
