The 5-star ball-carrier is one of the highest-rated high school rushers to commit to the University of Texas.
Landen Williams-Callis, the No. 3-ranked running back in the 2027 high school class and the top recruit in Texas, recently committed to the Texas Longhorns.
His pledge gives head coach Steve Sarkisian an electric duo of offensive skill with 5-star wide receiver Easton Royal.
Williams-Callis is as rare as they come when you consider his accomplishments through three years at Richmond Randle High School, just outside of Houston.
The 5-8 power back is eyeing the state's career rushing record, which was previously held by his uncle, Jacquizz Rodgers, who played alongside his brother James and was an All-American at Oregon State.
His 4,035 all-purpose yards last season set a Houston area single-season record in 2025.
So, there is no doubting Williams-Callis credentials ... but just how elite of a recruit is he in the lore of Longhorns running backs?
To fairly track recruiting ratings (for this exercise, using 247Sports' metrics), we can only to back 15 or so years, when platforms began rating recruits for national and state rankings. So, obvious names like Earl Campbell, Ricky Williams, Cedric Benson and Jamaal Charles won't be included.
Without further ado, here is the ranking of the top Texas Longhorns running back commits since prospect ratings began (circa 2010).
10 - Derrek Cooper (2026)
The incoming freshman makes the cut with a 93 prospect rating. The 4-star recruit stands at 6-1 and hails from Hollywood, Florida. Cooper will compete for snaps with Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown, two of the Longhorns' highly-coveted pieces from this stellar transfer portal cycle.
9 - Duke Catalon (2014)
Catalon, with a rating of 94, committed to Texas on Aug. 3, 2014, but never actually suited up for the Longhorns. He was a late flip to his hometown Houston Cougars, where he would rush for 1,165 yards across two seasons in 2016-17.
8 - Jaydon Blue (2022)
A youngster behind a running back room full of future NFL players, Blue came to Texas as a 95-overall recruit from the Houston area. He recorded 1,098 all-purpose yards in 2024, his first and only season as the Longhorns' full-time starter before being drafted in the fifth round by the Dallas Cowboys in 2025.
Blue remains in a battle for the Cowboys' No. 2 role behind Javonte Williams.
7 - Landen Williams-Callis (2027)
Williams-Callis is rated a 95 with a 5-star, .9855 rating on 247's composite metric.
Randle rode Williams-Callis' heroics to the school's first UIL Class 5A Division II state championship in Landen's sophomore year. He brought home the title game's Offensive MVP honors after he took a kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown and ended the game with over 100 yards rushing.
As a junior, Williams-Callis was back at AT&T Stadium for the state championship after rushing for over 3,500 yards and 59 touchdowns on the season. This time, he broke the championship record with a 103-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, but ultimately South Oak Cliff got the victory.
LWC will get a shot at rematch against South Oak Cliff when Randle matches up with the defending state champs in Week 1 of the 2026 season.
6 - Jerrick Gibson (2024)
Gibson was a part of Sarkisian's formula for the past two seasons, but joined the mass exodus at running back this past offseason. The former 96 overall prospect rushed for 529 yards and five touchdowns in two seasons in Austin. Gibson now takes his talents to Purdue for 2026.
5 - Chris Warren III (2015)
Warren was a 96 overall and a top-10 running back recruit in the nation just over a decade ago. At Texas, he registered 1,150 career rushing yards, and was a prominent figure in the pass game as a junior in 2017, posting 229 yards receiving.
The Rockwall native had a brief stint with the Oakland Raiders, but never appeared in an NFL game.
4 - Malcolm Brown (2011)
The 97-overall ball-carrier from Schertz, Texas, was the No. 3 running back recruit in the nation and a top-five player in the state upon joining the Longhorns.
Brown's currently sits 11th in Longhorns history in rushing with 2,678 yards.
An eight-year NFL career followed, with Brown's best season coming with the St. Louis Rams in 2020, when he rushed for a career-high 419 yards and five touchdowns.
3 - CJ Baxter (2023)
Baxter, a former 98 overall prospect and the top-ranked running back prospect in the country coming out of IMG Academy, unfortunately struggled with injuries in his time with the Horns.
He transferred to Kentucky ahead of the 2026 season after totaling 855 yards rushing, 197 yards receiving and six touchdowns with the Longhorns.
2 - Bijan Robinson (2020)
The Tucson, Arizona native and 98 overall recruit turned in one of the best running back careers in Texas history.
Robinson's 3,410 career yards rushing ranks fourth in Texas history, and ranks eighth with 33 rushing touchdowns.
Now, as a former top-10 pick of the Atlanta Falcons, Robinson has signed a contract extension that makes him the highest-paid running back in NFL history.
The two-time Pro Bowler has 3,910 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns through three seasons as the Falcons' franchise player.
1 - Johnathan Gray (2012)
Widely regarded as the greatest Texas high school football player ever, Gray remains the only Longhorns running back commit to ever possess a 99 rating by 247Sports.
Gray previously held the state's high school rushing record after an unforgettable career of over 10,000 yards rushing at powerhouse Aledo. He led the Tigers to three straight state championships and established the high school national record with 205 rushing touchdowns.
The consensus top running back prospect went on to play four seasons with the Longhorns, rushing for 2,607 yards (14th-most in program history) and 17 touchdowns.
Struggling with injuries following his career at Texas, Gray never received an opportunity at the professional level, despite once earning a tryout with several NFL teams.
Gray also briefly pursued a career in professional track and field as a sprinter.
