While No. 97 doesn’t have the star power of some other numbers, it has been worn by a pair of productive interior defenders and is currently occupied by a player who has a chance to make a name for himself in a hurry.

1. Frank Okam (2004-07)

The easy choice at the top.

At 6-foot-5 and more than 300 pounds, Frank Okam was one of the most physically imposing defensive tackles of the Mack Brown era. He earned Freshman All-American honors before developing into one of the top defensive linemen in college football.

Okam was a 2006 ESPN First-Team All-American, collected multiple All-Big 12 honors and finished his Texas career with 160 tackles, 28 tackles for loss and 10 sacks.

Most importantly, he was a key contributor on Texas’ 2005 national championship team. Heading into his senior season, many draft analysts viewed him as a potential first-round NFL pick because of his rare combination of size and athleticism.

2. Chris Nelson (2014-18)

Chris Nelson may not have received the same national recognition as Okam, but he became a highly respected player from the Charlie Strong and Tom Herman eras.

Nelson appeared in 45 games, made 29 starts, served as a team captain and finished his career with 109 tackles and 15.5 tackles for loss.

3. Alex January (Current No. 97)

The story is still being written.

January enters the 2026 season as the current owner of No. 97 and possesses the talent to eventually challenge for a spot on this list.

Another great graphic from Matthew 

January might be considered one of the better DTs of the last 20 years at Texas if he played in a different era.  The DT room has been fantastic the last couple of years, and I don't know if Okam or Nelson would have seen much of the field either if they were in January's place.

I think January is about to emerge as a star this fall.