Texas football: Assembling the all-time Mack Brown team

Quentin Jammer, CB

It was hard to pick between all the great corners Brown and the Longhorns boasted during his time as head coach, especially during the 2000s.

One name we couldn’t keep off the list was the 2001 Consensus All-American and two-time All-Big 12 First-Team selection Quentin Jammer. As the definition of a lockdown corner for Texas in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Jammer was a cornerstone for some of the best pass defenses in program history.

Jammer was part of the only Big 12 pass defense ever to allow fewer than one passing touchdown and 200 passing yards per game for three straight seasons (1999-2001), per Sports Reference.

Jammer wasn’t as flashy with the interceptions as some of the other great Texas defensive backs of the 2000s, such as Aaron Ross and Nathan Vasher. Granted, he did still come away with seven career picks, a solid number for a three-year starter at cornerback.

Where Jammer excelled was breaking up passes. He ranks second in program history in career pass breakups (55) and second in single-season pass breakups (24).

Nathan Vasher, CB

Another undeniable inclusion on this list among the best corners of Brown’s era as Texas’ head coach is the legendary three-time All-Big 12 selection and one-time All-American Nathan Vasher. There isn’t a single cornerback in recent memory for the Longhorns that was as electric or disruptive in pass defense. Vasher was also a lightning rod of a punt returner for the Longhorns in the early 2000s.

In the same season in 2001, Vasher registered 18 pass breakups, seven interceptions (program record at the time), and one punt return for a touchdown.

Vasher has a good argument that he is the best cornerback in program history for the Longhorns. He holds the program record for career interceptions (17). Most impressive, though, is that he has had the most career pass breakups by any FBS player since 2000 (64).