Texas football: Assembling the all-time Mack Brown team

Michael Huff, S

The run of elite defensive back play for the Longhorns continued through the mid-2000s. Texas had some of the best safeties ever to play in the Big 12 man the defensive back for Brown’s teams in the 2000s.

The first Texas safety we’re highlighting is Two-time All-Big 12 First-Team selection and the 2005 Jim Thorpe Award winner/Consensus First-Team AP All-American, Michael Huff. Huff did it all for the Longhorns in the early-to-mid 2000s. He was among the most important defensive players on the National Championship-winning 2005 squad.

Huff was a ball hawk and a playmaker at the safety position for the Longhorns, raking in a program record four career interceptions returned for touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also had multiple fumbles returned for touchdowns and 44 career pass breakups, ranking top 10 in program history for the Longhorns.

Earl Thomas, S

Arguably, Brown’s last truly great safety during his time with the Longhorns came in the late 2000s with the two-year starter and 2009 Consensus All-American Earl Thomas. In just two season playing for Texas, Thomas registered more than 145 combined tackles, eight tackles for loss, 10 interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), 33 pass breakups, and five forced fumbles.

It’s crazy to think what Thomas could’ve been for the Longhorns had he played at Texas for more than two seasons. Nonetheless, he proved to be one of the biggest difference-makers and ball hawks in Big 12 history during his two seasons starting at Texas in 2008 and 2009.

He holds the program record for single-season interceptions (8) and single-season interception return TDs (2).