No. 3: Ricky Williams 2001
The first RB of the like Leach era was Ricky Williams, who was a star under Spike Dykes. But to prove just how stellar was he was, he transitioned to be almost as effective for Leach despite being asked to change the way he played.
As a senior in 2001, he amassed 1,343 yards and18 TDs. Though it was 400 yards shy of his total output from his sophomore season when he earned All-American honors, it was a more balanced season as he ran for 726 yards and 14 TDs while catching 92 passes for 617 yards and four scores. By contrast, in 1998, his best season, all but 176 of his 1,758 total yards came on the ground as did all of his TDs.
He had two 100-yard games, one on the ground and one through the air. He racked up 153 yards and 4 TDs via land at Baylor while catching 13 passes for 101 yards at North Texas.
In two years playing for Dykes, Willaims had just 28 total catches. Playing for Leach, he had 144. That’s the sign of a tremendous football player as he was able to bring a new element to the field after being a workhorse on the ground.
Of course, Williams is not nearly as famous as the Texas RB who has the same name but though he did not win the Heisman like the other Ricky Williams, he was a fantastic player in his own right. And in 2001, it could be argued that he was at his best even though he didn’t earn All-American honors as he did in 1998. That’s because he was a more versatile player who brought an extra element to the field.