Texas football: Assembling the all-time Mack Brown team

One of the best and most successful head coaches in the last few decades for the Texas football program is Mack Brown. The longtime Texas head coach that spent 16 years with the program, from 1998-2013, accomplished a lot during his time on the Forty Acres.

Brown won one National Championship during his time at Texas while taking the Longhorns to two BCS National Championship Games. Texas also had seven top-10 finishes in the AP Poll, two Big 12 Championships, six Big 12 South division titles, and nearly 20 Consensus First-Team AP All-Americans in the 16 seasons under Mack.

Since the Longhorns and Brown parted ways after the 2013 season, Texas hasn’t found the same level of success year in and year out. In the 10 years since Texas and Mack parted ways, the Longhorns have hired three different head coaches and have only won double-digit games in a season once.

It does appear the Longhorns are trending in the right direction again under third-year head coach Steve Sarkisian, a full decade after Mack’s departure from the Forty Acres.

Vince Young leads the way for Mack Brown’s all-time Texas football team

There are plenty of fond times to reflect on Mack’s tenure on the 40. Here’s a look at the all-time Texas team under Brown.

Vince Young, QB

The legendary Vince Young is not only the best quarterback of the Brown era on the Forty Acres but the best at the position in program history. Young was one of the most electric playmakers of the 2000s. He was arguably the most exciting quarterback in college football during that decade.

Young had numerous legendary moments on the 40, most notably the fourth-down run that led the Longhorns to the 2006 Rose Bowl/BCS National Championship Game win over the No. 1 USC Trojans.

The impossible task that opposing defenses had of preparing to face Young made Texas lethal when he was the starting quarterback during the 2004 and 2005 seasons.

Honorable mention: Colt McCoy

Ricky Williams, RB

This was a tough choice for the running back slot on the all-time Longhorns team from the Mack era on the 40. Ricky Williams only played under Mack for one amazing season, which also happened to be Brown’s first as Texas’ head coach. Meanwhile, Cedric Benson was the best running back Mack had for four years in the early 2000s.

But it’s hard not to give it to Williams, the running back that won the most recent Heisman Trophy for the Longhorns during the 1998 season. Williams had one of the best individual seasons in recent memory in college football in 1998, going off for more than 2,100 rushing yards and 27 rushing touchdowns.

In fact, Williams’ 1998 campaign was so impressive that he was among the most convincing Heisman Trophy winners among running backs in the award’s history. Williams got 714 first-place Heisman votes in 1998, the second-most in the award’s history among running back winners. He only ranks behind USC running back OJ Simpson, who had 855 first-place votes in 1968.

But it’s worth noting that there were more Heisman voters in 1968 and 1976, giving OJ an edge in that department over Williams.

Another good measure that shows just how impressive Williams was in 1998 was the percentage of possible points he got from the Heisman ballots. He landed more than 85 percent of the possible points for the Heisman vote in 1998, most of any running back in college football history.

Had Williams played for Mack for more than one season, it would be easier to choose him over the late and great Benson. But the margins are pretty slim here.

There’s no losing with choosing either of these running backs on the all-time Longhorns team from the Mack era.

Honorable mention: Cedric Benson

Roy Williams, WR1

Arguably, Roy Williams is the best wide receiver in program history for the Longhorns. He was a star on the Forty Acres for four years during Mack’s tenure as the head coach (2000-2003).

Williams is the all-time leader for the Longhorns in receiving yards (3,866) and receiving touchdowns (36). He was ultra-consistent, too, producing at least 800 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches each season at Texas.

The Third-Team AP All-American and two-time All-Big 12 First-Team selection was a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses in all four seasons at Texas as an electric and overpowering 6-foot-3 weapon in the passing game.

Jordan Shipley, WR2

One of the biggest Longhorns stars of the 2000s was standout wide receiver, Jordan Shipley. No one in the Big 12 could stop the high-octane quarterback-to-wide receiver connection between Colt McCoy and Shipley for the Longhorns in the late 2000s.

The slippery and dangerous slot receiver had one of the best two-season runs of any Texas wideout in the last few decades in 2008 and 2009. Shipley combined for over 200 catches for more than 2,600 receiving yards and two-dozen touchdown catches in 2008 and 2009.

Quan Cosby, WR3

The speedy and elusive 5-foot-10 and 190-pound Quan Cosby is often overlooked among the all-time great Texas wideouts. Cosby was one of the best and most productive wide receivers in the mid-to-late 2000s for Mack and the Longhorns. He also formed one of the best receiver duos in the country in 2008 with Shipley, as they combined for more than 2,000 receiving yards and 21 touchdown catches.

Honorable mention: Limas Sweed

David Thomas, TE

Among the all-around great tight ends in program history for the Longhorns, David Thomas is an easy choice on this list from the Brown era. There are too many program records that Thomas holds to keep him off this list as the best tight end of Brown’s era.

There’s also a good argument to be made that Thomas is the best tight end in program history for the Longhorns.

Thomas was a key cog for the Texas offense that helped lead this team to the win over USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl. He reeled in a program record then, with 10 catches in that Rose Bowl/BCS National Championship Game to cap the 2005 season. The 88 yards that Thomas posted in the 2006 Rose Bowl also helped make this one of the most memorable performances in the last few decades in a single game by a Texas tight end.

At a high level, Thomas was an incredibly productive and consistent tight end throughout four seasons for Brown and the Longhorns. In his last three seasons at Texas, Thomas registered double-digit catches for at least 200 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

It’s also worth mentioning that Thomas registered over 1,000 receiving yards on 75 catches, good for 10 touchdown catches in 2004 and 2005.

Thomas ended his career on the Forty Acres with the program record for the most catches (98), receiving yards (1,367), and receiving touchdowns (15) for a tight end. He was a two-time All-Big 12 First-Team selection and a two-time semifinalist for the Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end.

Honorable mention: Bo Scaife

Offensive line

Texas was stacked along the offensive line during Mack’s time as head coach, especially throughout the 2000s. The Longhorns were an offensive lineman factory in the 2000s, producing eight players selected in the NFL Draft from 1999-2008. A half-dozen of those offensive linemen were drafted in the first three rounds.

Many of these offensive linemen, including Jonathan Scott, Lyle Sendlein, and Justin Blalock, were key pieces of the O-Line on the 2005 Texas National Championship squad.

Every one of the offensive linemen on this list from Brown’s era for the Longhorns was an All-Big 12 First-Team selection, a Consensus AP All-American, or both in at least one season.

OT: Leonard Davis

G: Kasey Studdard

C: Lyle Sendlein

G: Justin Blalock

OT: Jonathan Scott

It’s crazy that three top-three-round picks in the NFL Draft (including the No. 4 pick in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft, Mike Williams) had to be excluded from this group of five standout Texas offensive linemen.

Texas consistently boasted some of the best offensive lines in the Big 12 during Mack’s time as head coach in the late 1990s and the 2000s. That consistency and high-level player development along the offensive line for Brown and the Longhorns in the 2000s often translated to these guys finding success in the NFL for long careers.

Defensive line

The early-to-mid 2000s was a beautiful time on the Forty Acres for some defensive linemen who became among the best and most productive in program history at their respective positions. Three of the four defensive linemen on this list rank among the 10 Longhorns players with the most tackles for loss in a single season.

Shaun Rogers, Casey Hampton, and Cory Redding posted at least one season with over 20 tackles for loss. These three also rank among the top six players in program history in terms of career tackles for loss. They combined for over 160 career tackles for loss (per Texas record books).

Rogers and Hampton were two players that were defensive line anchors at the defensive tackle position for the Longhorns, mostly in the early 2000s. Meanwhile, Redding and Brian Orakpo made life difficult for opposing quarterbacks and offensive tackles as some of the most disruptive defensive ends in Big 12 history.

DE: Brian Orakpo

DT: Shaun Rogers

DT: Casey Hampton

DE: Cory Redding

Redding made a living in the opposing team’s backfield during his best individual season in 2002. He registered 37 quarterback pressures (tied for eighth most in a single season in program history) and double-digit sacks during the 2002 campaign.

Meanwhile, Orakpo peaked in 2008. He registered a career-best 17.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks, earning him Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and First-Team All-American honors and a top 15 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft by Washington.

Derrick Johnson, LB

Texas superstar linebacker Derrick Johnson is one of the five best players at his position all-time for the Longhorns. He was a menace that made plays all over the field as the glue of the Longhorns’ defense in the early-to-mid 2000s.

Johnson is one of the most productive linebackers in program history. Here are the program records he holds.

• Single-season forced fumbles: 9 (2004)
• Career-forced fumbles by an LB: 11
• Single-season INTs by an LB: 4 (2002)
• Career INTs by an LB: 9
• Career tackles for loss: 65

Just think how good the Longhorns’ defense would be if it had a player capable of forcing nine fumbles in a single season as Johnson did as a First-Team All-American in 2004. He was one of the most impactful game-breakers at the linebacker position in program history.

D.D. Lewis, LB

Among the most physically gifted and versatile linebackers to play for Brown and the Longhorns in the late 1990s and 2000s was D.D. Lewis. He was a true playmaker for the Longhorns at the linebacker position in the early 2000s. Lewis registered 10 career fumble recoveries, including five during the 2000 campaign.

Lewis also had one of the best single-game performances in program history from a linebacker in tackles for loss, posting a career-high five against the Colorado Buffaloes in 2000.

Roddrick Muckelroy, LB

Roddrick Muckelroy was one of the most productive Longhorns defenders of the late 2000s, leading the team in total tackles in 2008 (102) and 2009 (86). The two-time All-Big 12 honoree Muckelroy was an ultra-consistent force for Texas at linebacker in the late 2000s.

He rarely missed tackles and made a lot of plays when Texas needed it the most, even if he didn’t get the most glory or recognition for his efforts.

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).

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).

Special teams

Special teams isn’t the first thought that comes to mind when reflecting on the best of Mack’s time as Texas’ head coach. That’s not because the special teams units were bad throughout his time with the program. But Texas just had so many good players on the other sides of the ball that it’s easy to overlook some of the most valuable special teams contributors.

One special teams standout that can’t be overlooked, though, during Brown’s time as the Longhorns’ head coach is the all-time great kicker Justin Tucker. While his production and efficiency in the field goal-kicking game at Texas haven’t necessarily matched what he’s done in the NFL in the last decade or so with the Baltimore Ravens, Tucker was still clutch in college.

Tucker ranks in the top three in program history in field goal percentage (83.3). He also ranked in the top five in the Big 12 among kickers in field goal percentage and points scored in 2010 and 2011.

The most memorable of Tucker’s kicks came when he hit the game-winner in the final seconds of the fourth quarter of the last Lone Star Showdown between Texas and the Texas A&M Aggies in 2011.

K: Justin Tucker

P: Alex King

KR/PR: Jordan Shipley

The nod for the best punter from Mack’s era is Alex King, who averaged more than 45 yards per punt during his only season at Texas in 2012. There wasn’t another Texas punter within three yards of King’s average yards per punt in 2012 during Mack’s tenure.

Lastly, Shipley gets the nod as the best returner of Mack’s era on the 40. Shipley ties for most career punts returned for touchdowns (3) and is top 10 in career yards per punt return (12.5) and career yards per kick return (24.6). He also registered one kick return for a touchdown and one punt return for a touchdown during the 2008 season.