2 Days Until Texas Football: Greatest Longhorns to Wear No. 2 and Who is Wearing it Now

There are only two sleeps remaining until the Longhorns take the field at DKR against Texas State in Week 1.

Ipso facto, it only makes sense to commemorate the Texas football legends who donned the No. 2 in Burnt Orange.

Between modern greats in the BCS and CFP eras and the legends of yesteryear, the Longhorns have had absolute studs on both sides of the ball wearing the No. 2.

All-Time Greats to Wear No. 2 For the Longhorns

Sergio Kindle helped lead the last Longhorns defense to make the national championship game | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Sergio Kindle was part of the last Longhorns team to make it to a national championship game. Kindle was a menace on the edge during the 2009 season, so much so that he was recognized as a finalist for the Butkus Award for the top linebacker in college football, and the Ted Hendricks Award for the top defensive end. Kindle had 31 quarterback hurries and 17 TFL during that 13-1 Big 12 Championship season. In 2008, he had 10 sacks and 12.5 TFL.

Eric Metcalf was a track star at Texas, setting the indoor and outdoor long jump program record. On the football field, he used that athleticism as a running back who was all over the field. Metcalf had over 1,000 punt return yards, a kick return touchdown, and owns every program running back receiving record.

Jerry Gray was part of the 1982 Cotton Bowl winners that finished No. 2 overall in the AP Poll for the 1981 season. On an individual level, Gray was a two-time All-American who had 16 interceptions total, including seven during his senior season, and 20 pass breakups.

In terms of one-year wonders, Matthew Golden was as good as it gets in 2024, the Longhorns' best season since 2009. While Texas was stopped short in semifinals against Ohio State, it wasn't Golden's fault. He suffered an injury shortly after the opening whistle and missed the middle portion of the game. Golden averaged 17 yards per catch from Quinn Ewers and was close to a one-and-done 1,000-yard season. Who knows what more he could've done had he not played his first two seasons at his hometown University of Houston.

As for one-year wonders, at least wearing the No. 2, Chris Simms finally wore his high school number during his senior year and had a career-best season under and behind center. Simms had 3,207 passing yards and 30 all-purpose touchdowns in 2002. Simms' is No. 9 in Longhorns history for passing yards in a season from his one year wearing No. 2.

Who Wears No. 2 Now?

NC State transfer Hollywood Smothers dons the No. 2 on the offensive end. In the spirit of Metcalf four decades before him, Smothers is a pass-catching threat out of the backfield. Smothers will be in a time-share with Raleek Brown, and possibly true freshman Derrek Cooper, at running back.

Defensively, Derek Williams Jr. is one of the team's primary free safeties. Williams has a handful of starts in 29 career appearances and is currently trying to fend off Kobe Black, who moved over from the cornerback spot, for the starting safety spot opposite Jelani McDonald.

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