The quarterback at Texas has a long lineage from Bobby Layne to Major Applewhite to Vince Young to Colt McCoy and many in between. Now starter Sam Ehlinger has an opportunity to be added to the list of great quarterbacks to have played for the prestigious university. After submitting paperwork to the NFL Advisory Board, Ehlinger decided to come back for his senior year.
Once taking over the full-time job from Shane Buechele during the 2017 season, Sam Ehlinger has been able to win both with his arm and his legs. Coming out of Austin Westlake, Ehlinger was a four star recruit and the fourth-ranked dual threat quarterback in the nation according to 247 rankings.
Coming out of high school, the hometown production was viewed as a very accurate quarterback especially in the short to intermediate range. Something that he continued to do very well for the Longhorns through his first three seasons on the Forty Acres. During his game against the Utes, Ehlinger was as efficient as he has been all year and throughout his time in Austin.
Ehlinger threw for 11.2 yards per attempt on 18 attempts with three touchdowns. When factoring in his running attempts, Ehlinger accounted for four touchdowns and 284 yards of offense. He has shown the ability to take over games with his ability to move around the pocket to extend plays and put pressure on defenses with his legs.
Already in his career, Ehlinger had a season where he surpassed VinceYoung for the second-most yards of offense in a single season. His 4,326 yards in 2019 passed Young’s 4,086 for second and just 94 yards away from Colt McCoy’s record that was set in 2008. Ehlinger’s mark was also done in one less game than McCoy or Young.
Records that Ehlinger is chasing in 2020:
- Single-season Total Offense (4,420)
- Career Total Offense Yards (14,824), Ehlingher has 10,400
- Single-season Touchdowns (34)
- Career Touchdowns (112), Ehlinger has 68
- Single-season Passing Yards (3,859)
- Career Passing Yards (13,253), Ehlinger has 8,870
Some of these marks might seem highly unlikely such as the career passing yards unless Ehlinger throws for more than 4,000 yards in 2020. Not only would it give Sam the record but it would also mark the first time a Texas quarterback passes for 4,000 in school history.
Sam Ehlinger is looking to put himself up in the stratosphere of Young and McCoy but to do it he will need to lead the Longhorns to somewhere they haven’t been in a decade, the National Championship.