Texas features some of the best players in college football. Heck, the winners of the Heisman Trophy, Walter Payton Award and Harlan Hill Award all played college football in the state at some point. 

That said, importance is about more than talent. Teams are built and coaches are fired based on the performance of key players. We take into account depth at a position group, talent of individual players and how much losing an individual player would sink a team. 

We start our countdown of the top 50 players in the state with a look at the first 40. Twenty-two programs at all four levels of NCAA football are represented on the list. 

Check back in the coming days as we count down the top 10. 

50. North Texas WR Jalen Guyton

49. Texas State OL Aaron Brewer

48. SMU RB Xavier Jones

47. Texas Tech WR T.J. Vasher

Texas Tech is known for wide receiver production, but the offense is in a tough spot after losing outstanding receivers Keke Coutee, Cameron Batson and Dylan Cantrell. That leaves Vasher as the only wide receiver who accumulated more than 150 yards last season. Especially with the uncertainty at quarterback, Vasher will have plenty of pressure to perform.

46. Rice WR Aaron Cephus

45. Texas A&M RB Trayveon Williams

44. Prairie View A&M QB Neiko Hollins

43. Rice P Jack Fox

42. SMU LB Kyran Mitchell

41. Baylor S Blake Lynch

Baylor played Blake Lynch all over the field last season, including on both offense and defense. However, the coaching staff eventually opted to move Lynch to arguably Baylor’s shallowest position. Safety play doomed the Bears in multiple games last season. At this point, most of the depth at the position is inconsistent at best. If Lynch adjusts quickly, he could be a game-changer. If not, Baylor’s secondary will be a major concern once again.

40. East Texas Baptist WR Richard Johnson

39. Incarnate Word LB Mar’kel Cooks

38. Baylor OT Jake Fruhmorgen

37. North Texas LB E.J. Ejiya

36. Stephen F. Austin QB Foster Sawyer

35. Texas A&M Commerce K Kristov Martinez

Texas A&M Commerce is the reigning national champions, and Kristov Martinez’s heroics are a major reason why. Martinez nailed 11 of his 12 field goal attempts in the playoffs, including a pair to help Commerce outlast Central Washington and advance. Now, he’s the active Division II leader in made field goals, and fourth at every level. 

34. UTSA QB Bryce Rivers

33. Houston Baptist DB Raphael Lewis

32. TCU RB Darius Anderson

31. Texas A&M Commerce LB Brucks Saathoff

30. Texas State LB Bryan London

29. Houston S Deontay Anderson

Deontay Anderson starred as a freshman at Ole Miss in 2016, and even earned a spot on the All-SEC freshman team. After voluntarily sitting out the 2017 season while the Ole Miss investigation played out, he transferred to Houston. Other than Ed Oliver, Houston doesn’t have many game-changers on defense. Anderson has the potential to be just that if he can adjust to the Cougars’ system quickly.

28. Texas DE Breckyn Hager

27. Texas A&M Quarterback

26. Angelo State DE Markus Jones

25. UTEP QB Kai Locksley

Kai Locksley hasn’t even earned the starting job as yet, but it’s not often a former blue-chip recruit and Under Armour All-American steps on the field at UTEP. Locksley is an elite athlete at the quarterback position, and could be a game-changer in Dana Dimel’s offense. Dimel was the offensive coordinator at Kansas State, and the quarterback run is a major part of his scheme.

24. Texas A&M DE Landis Durham

23. Mary Hardin-Baylor RB Markeith Miller

22. UTSA LB Josiah Tauaefa

Josiah Tauaefa missed large parts of the 2017 season with injuries, but his freshman season still earns him a spot among the state’s best. He posted a program-record 115 tackles to go with 9 tackles for loss and 6 sacks. If Tauaefa is healthy, he will play a major part in replacing elite defensive end Marcus Davenport’s disruptive effect on the defense.

21. Houston QB D’Eriq King

20. Baylor LB Clay Johnston

19. Sam Houston State DL Chris Stewart

18. TCU WR Jalen Reagor

TCU has talented bodies at receiver, but Jalen Reagor is on another level. The stats were good -- 33 catches for 576 yards and 8 touchdowns -- but his talent was underutilized in a run-first offense. New quarterback Shawn Robinson has a big arm, and no receiver will benefit more than Reagor. His ability to get open and high-point the football will earn him comparisons to Josh Doctson.

17. Texas QB Sam Ehlinger

16. Sam Houston State WR Davion Davis

15. Texas Tech OL Jack Anderson

14. Midwestern State QB Layton Rabb

Exactly one team beat eventual national champion Texas A&M Commerce last season: Midwestern State. Rabb became just the second player in program history to throw for 3,000 yards. In a big win over Commerce, he added 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. With Luis Perez gone to the NFL, Layton Rabb is arguably the best returning quarterback in Division II college football.

13. TCU OT Lucas Niang

12. Texas Tech S Jah’Shawn Johnson

11. Mary Hardin-Baylor LB Tevin Jones

Tevin Jones is a do-everything linebacker for arguably the most consistent program in Texas college football. He finished with nearly 60 more tackles than any other player on the roster, and made plays both behind the line of scrimmage and downfield in the passing game. Jones will be tasked with leading UMHB’s defense back to the national championship game for a third straight season.