Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger is likely to be tabbed a mid-round draft pick, but another impressive season under his belt will only increase his stock.
Take a look at former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow for example, no one had him as a potential first-round selection heading into the 2019 season, much less the No. 1 overall pick.
Ehlinger continues to garner preseason hype as he heads into his senior season, already being named to the Manning Award, Maxwell Award, Davey O’Brien Award and Wuerffel Trophy watch lists. On top of that, he was selected as a Preseason All-Big 12 selection and a first-team All-Big 12 Preseason selection by Phil Steele.
He’s widely recognized as a Heisman trophy contender, but likely needs to lead the Longhorns into the College Football Playoffs in order for that to become a reality.
Once the season concludes, Ehlinger can continue to attempt to increase his draft stock by receiving an invite to the Senior Bowl. It appears that this will be a likely option for him, considering the Executive Director of the Senior Bowl stated on Twitter that he is looking forward to watching Texas’ signal caller play this fall.
One of the prospects we’re looking forward to watching most this fall is @TexasFootball QB Sam Ehlinger. Devin Duvernay and Collin Johnson had great things to say about Ehlinger at this year’s @seniorbowl and teammates’ opinions about their QB matters. #TheDraftStartsInMOBILE pic.twitter.com/DivOxSzCt9
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) August 3, 2020
Jim Nagy noted the importance of teammates’ opinions on a player. Ehlinger is well respected on and off the field by his teammates, coaching staff, and community.
He’s a true leader that you’d want to go to war beside. Ehlinger’s competitive spirit is one of his most noticeable attributes, where no stage is too big for him. He oftentimes put his body on the line to get the job done and has been the heartbeat of Texas’ offense since the beginning of the 2018 season.
While productivity on the field certainly matters to NFL executives, so do these rare characteristics that Ehlinger possesses. These are things that cannot be taught.
It’s hard to argue against him. He has consistency on his side, as he’s started the past 27 games for the Longhorns. During that span, he leads all active FBS quarterbacks in completions (571), attempts (879), passing yards (6,955), total offense (8,100) and total touchdowns (80).
Regardless of where he is drafted or to what team, he’s guaranteed to catch your eye as a competitor the moment that he steps onto the field. A Senior Bowl invite would be a great stepping stone for Ehlinger as he hopes to make the transition to the NFL.