Your Top 5 UT QB's - All Time

At the office, friendly argument broke out a short time ago among several Horn fans about the Top 5. This inspired me to start a thread during these dog days of August.

There was little to no argument about Vince, Colt or Street.

However, several issues about others... mostly about Simms, Applewhite, Gardere. Simms numbers may have been better than Major but I rank Major above him at #6. Gardere was 4-0 versus ousucks... Phillips team won a NC in 1970.

My top 5 in order:

1. Vince Young
2. James Street
3. Colt McCoy
4. Bobby Layne
5. Eddie Phillips

 

It's hard for me at 50. I know there are those before me, but I can't evaluate them.

1 Vince
2 Colt
3 James
4 Bobby
5 Peter Gardere (4-0 over OUsux my green donkey dik)

 

If the world was right, Colt would've had a Heisman, 2 NCs, and would have gone down as easily the greatest QB in UT history. But the world ain't right.

 

I'd have to put Bobby Layne at #2, and James Street was a friend, and Colt was outstanding.

My opinion that Eddie Phillips ranks with Jack Mildren are the two best Wishbone QBs of all time,

 

My favorite QB was James Brown but no he was not the best. Sam has a lot of the same qualities I saw in James. Far more talented of course.

1. VY
2. Colt
3. James
4. Bobby
5. Eddie Phillips, Duke Carlisle (tie)

 

1. VY
1a. Colt
3. Street
4. Phillips
5. Marty Akins

I'm not disputing the legend of Bobby Layne, but I have a very hard time comparing guys from that era to those who played since the invention of the facemask.

 

Compared to many here I've been around the program a relatively short time since only 1990. However I feel I can say that I would not put Gardere in the top five just because he beat OU four times. That's a great feat and definitely deserves it's own special place in UT QB history, but the rest of his career he seemed unimpressive to the point of us calling him Incomplete Pete as opposed to Peter the Great. He was one of the most frustrating QB's outside of OU.

So here is a one eyed shot at my list:

1) Vince
2, 3, 4) James, Bobby, Colt....you choose the order, splitting hairs here to decide
5) I'm not sure but I might put Applewhite here (see below) not knowing a couple of the other ones listed above.

I wasn't a fan of Simms. He had great stats but seemed to always throw an interception, many times in the backfield for a TD, at the most critical times and to me he couldn't get it done when the game was on the line.

I loved Major and he may have had the biggest heart in a QB outside of Vince. Athletically he seemed inferior to everyone listed above, but man he seemed to know what strings to pull to make stuff happen or where to go at the right times to get that critical first down or TD and was a true leader of teams that weren't the best we've had. I've always wondered what would have happened if he were born later and been on those Colt teams.

Great discussion!

 

1. Vince Young
2. Colt McCoy
3. Bobby Layne
4. Major Applewhite
5. Chris Simms

 

1. Vince
2. Slick
3. Carlisle
4. Colt
5. Layne

NC winners go first.

 

1. Vince
2. James
3. Duke (who also played defense occasionally--winning int against atm)
4. Colt
5. Bobby Layne

 

My 6-10... not necessarily in order:

6. Major
7. Duke
8. Brown
9. Simms
10. Akins

 

Worster, where would you put Sam right now, top 10?
Where do you project him on your list for one more year, and possibly two more years?
Value your opinion, want to know what we’re witnessing.

 

Thanks. I purposely didn't include Sam as he is still playing. Kid has grit, drive, a determination to succeed and will to win we have not seen in a long time. He inspires others to excel and do their best because he is doing his best. Not many players can do that.

We don't know Sam's personal ceiling but most of us would agree it is very high. We are uncertain what achievements he will inspire the team to accomplish in the 2 years he has left, but I think most of us anticipate with the incredible talent around him and good coaching, we will see championships.

I believe he is potential Top 5 among UT QB's, perhaps top 3 if he stays healthy... I love the kid.

 

I'm going

1. VY
2. Colt
3. Bobby Lane
4. Major Applewhite
5. Chris Simms

 

Top 5 as what they meant to the program:

1. Vince
2. Colt
3. Layne
4. Street
5. Brown/Applewhite

 

Thank you sir! Solidifies my opinion on his play, absolutely concur with all the above

 

1. Street
2. VY
3. Layne
4. Colt
5. Applewhite
6. Carlisle
7. Mike Cotten
8. Eddie Phillips
9. Marty Akins
10. Gardere

 

I have had the pleasure of seeing all of the great ones perform in person (except Layne only as a professional), and based on that I have to go with this ranking:

#1 James Street...Never lost
#2 Colt McCoy.....Amazing consistency and accuracy...wish he had not had the pinched nerve.
#3 Vince Young...probably would have been #1 if he had stayed for his Sr year.
#4 Eddie Phillips...if you ever saw him run the wishbone it was something...as close to perfection as you could get...he was like a machine and had incredible ball handling skills & instantaneous decision making ability.
#5 Bobby Layne....Played in single platoon days, was good enough that after seeing
him play as Freshman QB...fellow freshman QB YA Tittle (from Marshall, Tx who QB'd the NY Giants in the NFL and won 3 NFL Eastern Division Titles & was 1963 NFL MVP) left Texas
before UT classes started and enrolled at LSU.

As an aside, there is no telling how good Layne could have been if he had not been such a party animal and had taken care of his
body...he was legendary for partying all night before games.

When I was 5 years old I had the opportunity to go meet Bobby Coach Blair Cherry and Doak Walker when Texas came to Dallas
to play SMU (1947 )...got all their autographs in the lobby of the old
Stoneleigh Hotel in Dallas on Maple Ave...it is still there today.

 

Vince
Slick
Bobby Layne
Colt
Marty Akins

Major
Eddie Phillips
Duke Carlisle
Donnie wiggington
McEachern

* had Jon Aune not been injured he might have been good enough to join that top 5. Very under rated skills as a passer and would have liked our chances vs ND with his arm. ND didn't respect Randy at all that game, loaded up at the LOS.

* would have loved to have seen Donnie Little red shirted and given quality coaching at that position. Just never had a chance to pan out really

 

Run,

Love your list except for one. I agree about Aune. Guy had a cannon arm. With ND loading the box, AJ and Lam could have had historic days with his arm.

No offense to Randy, who has been a friend for over 40 years and continues to tell the story of me in Section 106 that day in October, 1977.

 

any top 5 that doesnt include Slick is BOGUS IMHO........it was obvious that Bradley couldn't run the Bone and James revived the program in 68 and may have saved DKR from being canned.

 

Absolutely no offense to Randy. He led us 11-0 with some nice throws... his pass to Alfred Jackson vs OU is still my favorite... Alfred adjusting during the route to sidestep the hit was a thing of greatness... Randy was a gift to us

 

James was pretty damn talented and knew how to win. He needs to visit the program more often.

 

Hence his true quote, "If someone had told me I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself." Last NFL player to not wear a faceguard, ever.

 

My list until Ehlinger finishes, except Layne at the top.

 

Ehilnger still has the potential to be as high as #1. He's probably top 4 in running, top 5 in passing, already got a Sugar bowl win and a OU win. or he could regress..who knows.

 

I was alive when Street was playing, but I can't remember much. My favorites in order.
1 Vince
2. Colt
3. Major
4. James Brown-- I had a blast watching him play.
5. Chris Simms... He'd rank higher based on talent, but I just hated that when a rusher touched him he would collapse in a heap.

 

Amazing how short this list is!

 

On talent, Rick McIvor, Jon Aune, Garrett Gilbert would make the list.

Putting Chrissy in the The top 10 (maybe top 25) is an insult to the great players that gave their heart and soul to our program.