Texas Football: 5 most underrated recruits in Longhorns history

Colt McCoy, QB

Recruiting ranking: No. 335 in 2005 class

One of the best quarterbacks in Texas history, two-time Consensus AP All-American and two-time Walter Camp Player of the Year Award winner Colt McCoy was not even rated as a blue-chip recruit in the 2005 class in the 247Sports Composite. The high-three-star recruit out of Tuscola (TX) Jim Ned High School was tabbed as the No. 335 prospect in the nation in the 2005 class and the No. 10 pro-style quarterback.

But maybe the most appalling of McCoy’s rankings in the 247Sports Composite in his class was that he was the No. 48 prospect out of Texas.

Here are some of the other pro-style quarterbacks that rated higher as recruits in the 2005 class.

• 4-Star Jonathan Crompton (Tennessee)
• 4-Star Harrison Beck (Nebraska)
• 4-Star Willie Tuitama (Arizona)
• 4-Star Derek Shaw (Arizona State)
• 3-Star Domenic Natale (Michigan State)
• 3-Star Arkelon Hall (Washington State)

Arguably the only pro-style quarterback recruit that ranked higher than McCoy in the 2005 class that made a big impact on his team in college was five-star USC Trojans commit Mark Sanchez. As the No. 1 quarterback recruit in the nation in the 2005 class, Sanchez lived up to the hype during his first and only season as a full-time starter for the Trojans in 2008.

But McCoy was a multi-year starter and a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist. McCoy was tremendous as Texas’ starting quarterback, leading the Longhorns to three AP Top 10 finishes and the 2010 BCS National Championship Game against the Alabama Crimson Tide.

McCoy totaled more than 130 touchdowns as a four-year starter at Texas, along with nearly more than 13,200 passing yards, and over 1,500 rushing yards.

It goes without saying that McCoy provided five-star value to the Longhorns as a high-three-star recruit. He is the highest-rated recruit on this list for the Longhorns, but he deserves a spot because he still outperformed his recruiting ranking.