ESPN's All-Time Top 100 College RBs: Which Longhorns Made the Cut?

ESPN revealed it's list of the top 100 college running backs over the last 60 years and a handful of former Longhorns made the cut

Despite subpar success over the past decade, the Texas Longhorns have had some talented individuals at the running back position during the program's decorated history. 

Before the electric playmaking ability of Bijan Robinson officially took Longhorn fans by storm last season, the powerful workhorse D'Onta Foreman won the Doak Walker Award in 2016, an honor given annually to the nation's top running back.

But over the past 60 years, the culture at Texas was established by the legendary performances of some one-of-a-kind running backs. And on Tuesday, ESPN revealed its list of college football's 100 best running backs of the last 60 years.

There are a few obvious candidates for the Horns, so let's take a look. 

Courtesy of Texas Athletics

84. Roosevelt Leaks, 1972-74

Before there was Earl Campbell, Roosevelt Leaks was breaking the backs of defenses with some incredible performances. 1973 was his year, as Leaks finished third in the Heisman voting, was a consensus All-American, and rushed for a school record 342 yards against SMU, a record that was later broken by Ricky Williams in 1998. 

Leaks, a member of UT's Hall of Honor, might be the lowest ranking Texas running back on this list, but he was every bit the legend as the runners that came after him. Leaks went on to play nine years at the pro level after being drafted by the Baltimore Colts in 1975. He's currently seventh all-time on UT's career rushing yardage list (2923).

59. Jamaal Charles, 2005-07

Charles was a dynamic runner and pass-catcher in Austin before becoming one of the NFL's best running backs in the early 2010's. On the way to Texas' historical title game win over USC in Jan. 2006, Charles flanked Vince Young in the backfield for most of the season, totaling 133 total touches, 1035 scrimmage yards, and 13 total scores. 

He completely took over in 2007 alongside Colt McCoy, recording 258 attempts, 1619 rush yards, and 18 touchdowns. Charles is fourth on UT's all-time rushing list with 3328 yards and was a three-time All-Big 12 selection.

32. Cedric Benson, 2001-04

Benson is what ESPN calls one of college football's most "steadiest" running backs during his four-year career on the Forty Acres. In his final season in 2004, Benson earned first-team All-American honors and won the Doak Walker Award after rushing for 1,834 yards and 19 touchdowns. 

He's currently seventh in NCAA FBS history with 5,540 rushing yards and is one of the eight players to rush for 1000 or more yards in four consecutive seasons. Benson's final game as a Longhorn was a win in the 2005 Rose Bowl against Michigan, a victory that helped set Texas up for a national championship a year later. 

After over 6000 career rushing yards during an eight-year NFL career with three different teams, Benson tragically passed away in Aug. 2019. 

Malcolm Emmons, USA Today

9. Earl Campbell, 1974-77

The 1977 Heisman Trophy winner and an NFL Hall-of-Famer, Earl Campbell is a living legend that still immerses himself into the program to this day. 

He was the first overall pick by the Houston Oilers in 1978 after finishing his Texas career with 765 carries, 4,443 rushing yards, and 40 scores on the ground. All three marks are good for third in program history. 

Here's what ESPN had to say about the Longhorn legend:

Like Derrick Henry, Campbell was like a video game Create-A-Player brought to life. With enormously wide, powerful legs, the "Tyler Rose" broke through as a sophomore but battled injuries the next year. Fully healthy in 1977, he led the nation with 1,744 yards, scored 18 touchdowns and led Texas to the brink of a national title until the Longhorns' Cotton Bowl loss to Notre Dame.

Stephen Dunn, Getty Images

4. Ricky Williams, 1995-98

It was a toss-up between Campbell and Williams for Texas' top spot, but the latter's unprecedented career on the Forty Acres takes the cake. Williams is first in program history in rushing yards (6,279) and scores (72), but that's only scratching the surface of what he accomplished.

During his senior year in 1998, Williams won the Heisman Trophy and was named AP's first-ever Player of the Year after leading the nation in rushing yards (2,124) and rushing yards per game (193.1), while being second in rushing scores (28). 

Before Wisconsin's Jonathon Taylor won back-to-back Doak Walker Awards in 2018 and 2019, Williams was the first-ever two-time winner of the award. 

Here's what ESPN had to say about Williams: 

A unanimous All-American and Doak Walker Award winner as a junior in 1997, Williams had already rushed for 4,265 yards and 46 touchdowns in his career before he elected to return to UT as a senior and set records. He broke Dorsett's career rushing record in style.

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