Who are the 10 biggest athletes in Texas?

Everything is bigger in Texas, and that includes the big-name star athletes that call the state home. Overall, the Lone Star State has 14 professional teams in all the major sports leagues, including multiple teams in the NFL, NBA and MLB.

The Texas Rangers collected the state’s most recent championship, winning the World Series in 2023, but the San Antonio Spurs were able to get the big prize in the 2023 NBA Draft, taking generational talent Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 overall pick.

Of course, this list looked different a month ago when Luka Dončić still resided in the state, but even with the departure of Dončić, this state is still LOADED with talent in the professional sports leagues for both men and women, as well as at the college ranks!

Here are the 10 biggest Texas athletes: 

10 biggest Texas athletes

Perhaps the biggest name on a college campus, Arch has played in 12 games over his first two years at the University of Texas. Over that time, he passed for just under 1,000 yards and tossed nine touchdowns with just two interceptions.

He will be asked to carry a bigger load in 2025, as the starting QB of the last two seasons, Quinn Ewers, is headed to the NFL. If Arch has the year most expect him to have, he could be headed to the NFL after 2025, bringing another Manning back to the NFL gridiron.

One of the best hitters in the majors, Álvarez continues to mash, making him perhaps the one mistake the Dodgers front office has made in the last decade. The Cuban slugger has four straight seasons of 30 or more home runs and has made the All-Star team in three consecutive seasons. His value only expands in the playoffs, earning ALCS MVP in 2021 and helping the team to the 2022 World Series title.

A shocking name on the list only because the trade that brought him to Dallas is still so hard to believe, but Davis is every bit as good as the NBA’s best in the frontcourt. Davis is a 10-time All-Star, making the squad in each of the last two years. He is also one of just four players to average 25 points per game and 10 rebounds per game over the last three seasons, joining Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokić. 

Davis might be new in town, but he’s show that, when healthy, he can bring it on a regular basis.

Kyrie Irving joins this list, and, unfortunately, does so after a serious knee injury that ended his season early. This season was a bit of a rebirth for Irving, making the All-Star team for the first time since the 2022-23 season, but his scoring has remained consistent over his time in the league. With the injury ending his year, he has now averaged 24 points or more for six straight seasons, showing that he can still score with the elite players in the game today.

Lamb was looked at as a top-tier receiver prospect when he was drafted out of Oklahoma, and he has proven his worth and then some since then. Lamb has made four straight Pro Bowls and been selected to an AP All-Pro team in each of the last three seasons.

That is, of course, due to his elite production. Over the last four seasons, he has been one of just five receivers to reach 5,000 total receiving yards — and he’s done it for the most valuable franchise in the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys.

No one on this list has the championship pedigree Altuve does, helping lead the Astros to four World Series appearances and two World Series titles in the 14 years he’s been in Houston. He’s also a menace to opponents in the regular season, collecting MVP votes in eight different seasons and earning the award for his play during the 2017 season. 

Stroud took a small step backward last season for the Texans in terms of what people expected, but his future is still as bright as ever.

After winning Offensive Rookie of the Year and making the Pro Bowl in his rookie season, Stroud failed to make a Pro Bowl in 2024 despite helping Houston to a 10-7 campaign. A large part of that can be traced back to injuries to his receiving group, but he still delivered for the Texans, helping them to a Wild Card win over the Chargers. Over two seasons, he has also proven to be clutch with five game-winning drives to his name.

One of the best defenders in the entire NFL, Parsons is a monster rushing the passer. Since entering the NFL in 2021, Parsons is the only player to accumulate 250 total tackles along with 50 sacks. He is truly a unicorn in terms of athleticism and production, and those numbers come despite missing part of last season due to injury, making it more impressive. Few players can boast the impact that Parsons has on their teams.

Speaking of unicorns, there may never be a player in their sport more unique than Wembanyama is to the NBA currently. Wemby measures at 7’3′ and still has the movement, handle and shooting ability to impact the game at every level of every game.

With him missing the rest of the season, his numbers are now set in stone, and they are mind-boggling. The All-Star posted 24.3 points per game to pair with 11 rebounds and nearly four dimes per game. On top of that, he has 47.6/35.2/83.6 shooting splits. He truly is one-of-one. 

The biggest name on this list should come as no surprise. Prescott plays the most important position in sports for the biggest team in the biggest sport in the country. On top of that, though, he has also quietly put together a remarkably consistent career. Since 2021, he is one of just four quarterbacks to have 100 TD passes and fewer than 50 interceptions. Moreover, he is also under 3,000 passing yards away from the franchise lead, a number he should comfortably surpass in 2025.

Honorable mentions

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