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FOX Sports ranks Top 10 'most notable' athletes in Texas

Wade-Peeryby:Wade Peery•03/06/25
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Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The state of Texas is loaded with some special athletes. And it’s fitting, because few states love their sports quite as much as Texas, especially football. And on Thursday evening, FOX unveiled the Top 10 ‘most notable’ athletes in the state. It’s topped with Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott, and finished at No. 10 with Arch Manning, the man that many have already crowned to win the Heisman Trophy next fall.

Of course, an unmistakable player checks in at No. 2 on the list in San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama. He towers above everybody at 7-4, but unfortunately, he’s sidelined this season with an injury. Still, his career has lived up to the hype and then some.

No. 3 in the state of Texas is Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons, who figures to get paid handsomely this offseason. The former Penn State star has blossomed into one of the most dominant pass rushers in the game today, racking up 52.5 sacks in his first four years.

Parsons has put himself in a special class of pass rushers and figures to be paid like it very soon. He and the Cowboys are in the initial stages of contract discussions. In 63 games so far, the Dallas linebacker has tallied 256 total tackles, firmly cementing his place as one of the best in the NFL.

No. 4 in the state of Texas is Houston quarterback CJ Stroud. He started off with an exceptional rookie season but had a dip in his performance in year two. In 2024, he completed 63.2% of his passes for 3,727 passing yards, while tossing in 20 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. As a rookie, he completed 63.9% of his passes for 4,108 passing yards, while tossing in 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions. For his efforts, he brought home NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

The Texans are dealing with a number of injuries in the offseason to their wideouts, so that’ll certainly play a role in Stroud’s outlook for the 2025 NFL season. In late January, Houston also decided to fire offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. We’ll see if the change produces better results for Stroud on the gridiron this fall.

No. 5 is Astros slugger Jose Altuve. He’s a nine-time All-Star and two-time World Series Champion. Not only that, but Altuve has also been the AL batting champion three times (2014, 2016, and 2017). The seven-time Silver Slugger Award winner is destined for the Hall of Fame once he hangs his cleats up. Through the 2024 season, he’s swatted 229 home runs, stolen 315 bases, and brought in 812 RBIs.

No. 6 in Texas is none other than CeeDee Lamb, the electrifying wideout for the Dallas Cowboys. Lamb has been elite in every sense of the word for the Cowboys over the years, firmly cementing his status as one of the best players in the NFL. He’s had four straight reasons of over 1,000 receiving yards in Dallas. And during his rookie season, he still hauled in over 900 receiving yards. So, he wasn’t that far off from having five. For his career, Lamb has hauled in 496 catches for 6,339 receiving yards and 38 total touchdowns, putting him in rarified air amongst the wideouts in the National Football League.

No. 7 is Kyrie Irving, who’s had a very weird career trajectory, to say the least. Especially during his time with the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets. But, with the Mavericks Irving has once again proven that when healthy and focused, he’s among some of the all-time greats at his position. With the assistance of Luka Doncic, he helped to propel the Mavericks to the NBA Finals last season. And basketball fans were lucky enough to witness the greatness of Irving. In the 2023-2024 campaign, he averaged 25.6 points per game, while dishing out five assists per game, and grabbing 4.2 rebounds.

Checking in at No. 8 in Texas is another basketball great in Anthony Davis. He’s career has been marred by injuries but when he’s healthy, Davis has been among the elite players in the game. Since the Mavericks just recently acquired him via the Luka Doncic trade, he’s allowed to be on the list for the state of Texas.

And No. 9 in Texas is Yordan Alvarez. The Houston slugger has been one of the best power hitters in the league for a few years now. And at No. 10, we’ve got Arch Manning, the man that plenty of people are already crowning as the Heisman Trophy favorite for this fall. He needs no introduction. And the buzz and media hype will only continue to grow around him if he lives up to the lofty expectations this year for the Texas Longhorns.