Over the last six decades or so, the Texas Longhorns have built an argument, quite unlike any other team in the country, that their football program is the RBU.
Most recently, that argument was furthered by a commitment from Landen Williams-Callis, a five-star prospect and the No. 3 running back in the class of 2027.
With his commitment to the Horns, Williams-Callis joined a lengthy list of elite running backs who have carried the ball for Texas over the years, and he even acknowledged the Longhorns' success in the backfield on his commitment day:
"They develop their guy [well]," Williams-Callis said. "A lot of people get drafted into the NFL from Texas."
Read more: Texas gave Texas A&M a reality check with 5-star Landen Williams-Callis' commitment
Well, he certainly isn't wrong about that, and clearly he did his research, because running backs have been breaking records (and tackles) on the 40 Acres for a long time, and now it's his turn to join the list of beloved fullbacks to play for the University of Texas, also known as RBU.
Landen Williams-Callis joins Longhorns' lengthy RBU roster
Over the last few years, Texas and head coach Steve Sarkisian have produced star running backs like Bijan Robinson, who has since become the starting RB for the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL, Roschon Johnson, Jaydon Blue, and more.
However, Sarkisian's running back lineage isn't where the Longhorns' dominance in the backfield began.
- Chris Gilbert (1966-68) - College Football Hall of Fame inductee, first-ever player to run for three consecutive 1,000+-yard seasons
- Earl Campbell (1974-77) - Heisman Trophy winner, College Football Hall of Fame inductee, amassed 4,443 rushing yards for 40 touchdowns, No. 1 overall pick in 1978
- Ricky Williams (1995-98) - Heisman Trophy winner, College Football Hall of Fame inductee, program record of 6,279 rushing yards for 72 touchdowns, No. 5 overall pick in 1999
- Cedric Benson (2001-04) - Doak Walker Award winner, second-most rushing yards in program history with 5,540 yards for 64 touchdowns, No. 4 overall pick in 2005
- Jamaal Charles (2005-07) - dual-sport athlete playing football and competing in track for the Longhorns, earned 6.2 yards per carry for 36 touchdowns
- D'Onta Foreman (2014-16) - Doak Walker Award winner, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award winner
- Bijan Robinson (2020-22) - Doak Walker Award winner, 3,410 career rushing yards for 33 touchdowns, No. 8 overall pick in 2023
With four top-10 picks at running back in the NFL Draft over the years, Williams-Callis will be in good company with his name next to some of the all-time greats in Texas's RB room.
Currently, the Horns boast two of the top running backs in the league with Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown, who Sarkisian added to his roster through the transfer portal this offseason. Additionally, just a year ago, Texas brought in four-star running back Derrek Cooper, who was the No. 4 RB in the class of 2026.
Simply put, the Longhorns are in great hands in the backfield, and this is before even considering the long list of elite quarterbacks who handle the ball for Texas as well.
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