Texas Football: 3 most under-appreciated running backs ever

When look back at all the running backs from the Texas football program, who are the three most underappreciated in the modern day?

Throughout the nearly 120-year long illustrious and tradition-rich history of the Texas football program, one of the consistently best positions on the team is running back. Both of the Heisman Trophy winners, and the most recent finalist, out of the Texas program were from the running back position. The two Heisman Trophy winners are well-known, even in this day and age, with Ricky Williams and Earl Campbell.

Williams won his Heisman Trophy during a magical 1998 season. And Campbell was Texas’ first Heisman winner, back from the 1977 campaign. Since then, Texas had a few Heisman Trophy finalists, but no one that took the actual award back to the Forty Acres. The two closest overall to winning the Heisman Trophy for Texas since Williams did it in 1998 were quarterbacks Vince Young and Colt McCoy.

However, Texas does have a Heisman contender this year on their hands with rising senior star quarterback Sam Ehlinger. There could also be a few others in the works like rising junior running back Keaontay Ingram (depending on how the workload is split this fall) and incoming freshman former five-star running back recruit Bijan Robinson.

But for now, we can look back at all the success Texas had at develop star running backs in the past and just admire what they’ve done. Even during the down years in the last three coaching regimes at different points, Texas still usually had running back as a position of strength.

Granted that wasn’t always the case.

Here’s a look back at the three most underappreciated running backs in the history of the Texas program (or at least as far back as good stats were kept).