Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger is well-known around the college football community, but his talent and production often feel underappreciated.
There’s players like Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields who respectfully receive the majority of praise. However, there’s several aspects of Ehlinger’s game that are just as good if not better than many of the nation’s top quarterbacks.
Ehlinger notably uses his legs often and has a physical toughness that is unmatched. He’s progresses each season as a passer and if his senior year falls along that same path of development, he could be selected as high as day two of the 2021 NFL draft.
PFF recently released the grades of which FBS quarterbacks were the most efficient against the blitz last season. Ehlinger is listed alongside a few of the top quarterbacks in college football history.
Passing grade against the blitz in 2019:
▪️ Trevor Lawrence – 90.9
▪️ Sam Ehlinger – 90.9
▫️ Joe Burrow – 90.8
▫️ Tua Tagovailoa – 89.3 pic.twitter.com/2Px6HqvKcu— PFF College (@PFF_College) August 11, 2020
Ehlinger performed just as well against the blitz as the likely No. 1 overall draft pick in Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. At PFF, they have each quarterbacks numbers against pressure and against the blitz. On top of that, they’ve added context to when and where the blitz comes from.
How much time they have to throw, number of dropbacks, sacks, scrambles, attempts, accuracy and completion percentage are all taken into consideration when determining grades.
Texas’ offense is designed to move the pocket and get Ehlinger out in space to use his legs which is oftentimes very tough to defend. He has room to grow in terms of ball placement, but it’s clear that he’s starting to understand the game on a different level.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler currently has him listed as one of the top five quarterback prospects for the 2021 NFL draft. If Ehlinger can continue to improve his ball placement, his draft stock will skyrocket.
In 2019, Ehlinger accounted for the second-most yards of total offense in school history with 4,326 yards.