Let's try something fun. Each week I'll drop a list pertaining to Lake Travis High School football. Lists are by no means official but may include input from those inside or close to the program.

Why not start at the top? Here are the 10 best players to play at Lake Travis. Player ranking takes into account what each player accomplished after graduating from Lake Travis in addition to their accomplishments wearing their Cavalier uniforms.

The 10 Best Players

10. Andy Erickson (2007-09). One of the most explosive players in school history, Erickson had a knack for finding the end zone, either as a running back, receiver or kick returner. His 2009 season may be the most dynamic in school history. He became the only player to amass more than 1,000 rushing yards (1,063) and 1,000 receiving yards (1,325). He also averaged 48.9 yards per kickoff return. The 39 touchdowns he scored in 2009 are a single-season record and he finished his career with 50 touchdowns, 4th all-time.

9. Hudson Card (2017-19). One of Lake Travis’ most versatile players, Card earned all-state honors at receiver as a sophomore (69 catches, 1,137 yards, 13 TDs) before taking over at quarterback for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Card finished his career with 81 touchdown passes (3rd all-time) and led the team to a pair of state semifinal appearances. After spending 3 seasons at Texas, Card transferred to Purdue where he’s been the starter since 2023.

8. Shaun Nixon (2011-13). A 3-year starter, including as a sophomore in the 2011 state championship season, Nixon was one of the most explosive running backs in school history. He finished his career ranked 2nd in rushing yards (3,753) and his 55 rushing touchdowns are the program record. His 1,747 yards in 2013 are the single-season record, a total that includes 334 yards in a playoff win over Dallas Jesuit. He played one season at TCU before injuries ended his career.

7. Robert Turner (1999-2001). Turner was part of Lake Travis’ first playoff football team in 2000. He went on to play at New Mexico and later became the first Lake Travis player to make it in the NFL. He signed with the Jets as an undrafted free agent In 2007 and played in 63 games over 6 seasons with the Jets, Rams and Titans. He started the last 22 games of his career before retiring in 2013.

6. Cameron Dicker (2015-17). In 3 years, Dicker set Lake Travis records for extra points, field goals and longest field goal made (53 yards). He kicked for 4 seasons at Texas, where he set the school record for points as a kicker (386) and field goals made (60). Undrafted, he quickly found a place in the NFL by kicking a game-winning field goal in his 2022 debut with Philadelphia before finding a home with the Chargers. In his first 2 seasons, Dicker’s made 94.5% of his field goal attempts (52 of 55) with a long of 55. All 3 of his professional misses have been from 50-yards or longer.

5. Brenden Jaimes (2014-16). The 3-year starter at Lake Travis went on to become one of the first freshmen offensive linemen to start at Nebraska. He set a Nebraska record by starting 40 straight games before the Chargers drafted him in the 5th round of the 2021 draft. He’s played in 36 games with 3 starts for the Chargers.

4. Charlie Brewer (2014-16). Brewer, who led the Cavaliers to the 2016 state championship after a runner-up finish in 2015, set a national record by completing 77.2% of his passes in 2016. He finished his Lake Travis career ranked second in passing yards (8,363), completions (600), attempts (851), touchdowns (109) and completion percentage (70.2). The 6A State Offensive Player of the Year, Brewer went on to earn Big XII Co-Offensive Freshman of the Year Honors and is among the Bears’ all-time passing leaders. He holds the school record for completions and attempts and ranks 2nd in passing yards (9,700), passing touchdowns (65) and completion percentage (63.5).

3. Garrett Gilbert (2006-08). When Gilbert’s time at Lake Travis wrapped up in 2008, he had led the Cavaliers to their first 2 state titles and stood as the all-time leading passer in Texas High School Football with 12,534 yards. He won the Gatorade National Player of the Year award in 2008. After an unsatisfying stint at Texas, Gilbert found success at SMU, where he started 23 games over 2 years, passing for more than 6,400 yards with 36 touchdowns. He finished his college career with 9,761 passing yards and 49 touchdowns. He became a 6th round pick in the 2014 NFL draft and spent 7 seasons as a practice squad and backup NFL quarterback.

2. Garrett Wilson (2015-17). One of the most dynamic receivers in school history, Wilson is the Cavaliers’ all-time record-holder with 60 touchdown catches, including a season-best 27 in 2017. He also ranks 3rd in career catches and 2nd in career receiving yards. He also scored rushing and kickoff return touchdowns and finished his career tied for the program's all-time lead with 67 touchdowns. He played defensive back at times as well. After a standout career at Ohio State, Wilson became the 2nd Lake Travis graduate selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, when the Jets selected him 10th overall in the 2022 draft. He’s already become one of the top receivers in the NFL, topping 1,000 yards in each of his first 2 seasons, totaling 2,145 yards with 7 TDs on 178 catches.

1. Baker Mayfield (2011-12). Mayfield burst onto the local scene when he led the Cavaliers to the 2011 state championship as a junior, then burst onto the national scene. At Texas Tech, Mayfield became the first true freshman walk-on to start at quarterback. After transferring from Texas Tech to Oklahoma, Mayfield won the Heisman Trophy in and became the top pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. In 3 seasons with the Sooners, Mayfield passed for 12,292 yards with 119 touchdowns. Countig his season at Texas Tech, Mayfield passed for 14,607 yards in college. Entering the 2024 NFL season, Mayfield’s passed for more than 20,000 yards with 130 touchdowns and won the 2018 Pro Football Writer’s Association Rookie of the Year Award.