Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
During media availability on Tuesday, Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger voiced his opinions on the upcoming season.
Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger did not shy away from letting his opinions be heard on Tuesday. Continue reading “Texas QB Sam Ehlinger expresses initial reactions to upcoming season”
Pro Football Focus has released their rankings for all 130 quarterbacks in FBS. So where does Sam Ehlinger stand?
Pro Football Focus is back at it again with their college football rankings. This time the focus being on the single most important player on the field, the quarterback. The Longhorns are led by senior quarterback Sam Ehlinger who is looking to finally bring Texas back to the top of the conference. A place they haven’t been since Colt McCoy left a decade ago.
He came close in 2018 but ultimately fell short to the Oklahoma Sooners in the Big 12 title game. Can Ehlinger and the Longhorns finally get their retribution? That remains to be seen. There has been considerable hype surrounding the Austin native this offseason. Ehlinger is one of the top three quarterbacks in almost every single statistical category in school history.
So where does he rank among the 130 quarterbacks in FBS? PFF answered that question with their rankings.
Texas might not have the same “elite program” status as they did in the early 2000s, but it’s far from Ehlinger’s fault. He posted an impressive 85.7 PFF grade in 2018 before improving that to an elite mark of 90.1 in 2019. Ehlinger produced 33 big-time throws last year, tying for the second-most in the country. He makes good decisions with the ball, he has excellent accuracy and mobility for a college quarterback, and he can take his play even further if he cuts down on his tendency to bail out of clean pockets.
Sam Ehlinger comes in as the highest rated Big 12 quarterback, just two spots above Brock Purdy. If you are asking yourself right now, yes he is ranked higher than that other quarterback who wears number 11 in the state.
Big 12 Quarterback Rankings
Ohio State continued their dominance on the recruiting trail Tuesday. Dasan McCullough, a four-star from Kansas, committed to the Buckeyes.
Ohio State continued their dominance on the recruiting trail, this time going to the 2022 class. Dasan McCullough, a four-star prospect from Kansas, committed to the Buckeyes Tuesday afternoon, their fifth of the class.
McCullough is listed as an athlete on 247Sports but is projected to play a role in the secondary. He has played safety, outside corner, and over the slot corner during his time in high school. Former cornerbacks coach and now defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs will have a fun time utilizing him.
Listed at 6-5 and 220 pounds, the rising junior in high school has good size to play safety instead of cornerback. He could even creep down further into the box, using his athleticism and tackling ability to make plays for Ohio State.
At the time of commitment, McCullough received 43 offers from some of the best in the country. Back in June, the four-star dropped a top 10 consisting of Clemson, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas, and USC.
Committed… pic.twitter.com/Md5kZuLLBC
— Dasan Mccullough ¹✊🏾 (@Dasan2022) August 18, 2020
After Quinn Ewers committed to Texas, McCullough showed the Longhorns some love, tweeting out an orange heart and a couple of ‘Hook ’em’ signs.
🤘🏾🤘🏾🧡 https://t.co/MiQK3H42D4
— Dasan Mccullough ¹✊🏾 (@Dasan2022) August 16, 2020
Going for a top-three class in 2022 is going to be difficult for the Longhorns, especially if Ryan Day can continue on the path the Buckeyes are currently on. Five prospects are already committed to Ohio State for 2022 and are all top 150 guys.
Texas had landed Ewers, the No. 1 player in the country, and four-star wide receiver Phaizon Wilson. The Longhorns are just getting started on the 2022 train and will be competing with the Buckeyes for top players throughout the class.
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This particular clip of Texas wide receiver Jordan Whittington during fall camp appears to show that he’s healthy and poised for a big year.
Will Texas finally have wide receiver Jordan Whittington at their disposal this season? Continue reading “Texas Football: Jordan Whittington looks healthy, ready to contribute”
In 247Sports’ most recent article they posed an idea of a college fantasy draft. In this scenario the Texas Longhorns walk away with a LBer.
If you are an avid football fan, it is likely that you play fantasy football. It isn’t just a NFL game anymore as some sites offer a college football fantasy league. Many fans are putting their draft parties together, putting a board together much like a NFL team is doing and prove they have the superior football mind against friends and colleagues. So what about a college football fantasy draft?
What if the contenders in the remaining Power Five conferences got their shot at drafting a player out of the Big Ten or Pac-12 Conference? Throw the transfer portal out the window for just a moment. That is what 247Sports’ staff did. In this scenario the Longhorns received the number 12 selection to try and improve their team. So do they go offense and add to their wide receiver corps? Or do they add to their defense in an attempt to slow down some high powered offenses?
No shock will this selection as the Longhorns have been on the hunt for linebacker help. Recently they were among the three teams vying for the commitment from Arizona transfer linebacker Tony Fields II. In this scenario from Barton Simmons, the Longhorns get their man in McGrone.
Texas needs a fix at defense and has turned to new coordinator Chris Ash for answers. There’s no denying the talent in the secondary and Joseph Ossai is expected to emerge as one of the best pass rushers in the country. It’s the linebacker position where the Longhorns need to find consistency. Cameron McGrone, a former five-star in the Top247 rankings, was poised to have a breakout fall this season at Michigan and the feeling here is that whenever we see him on the field again, he’ll quickly assert himself as one of the best linebackers in the country. That’s the kind of talent that would make Ash sleep much easier in his first year
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In the first NFL training camp update of the year we look at Holton Hill, Kris Boyd, Connor Williams and Devin Duvernay.
NFL is in full swing with training camps getting going. For the Texas Longhorns there a list of former players in the mix for various position battles across the league.
Continue reading “Longhorns in the NFL: Training Camp news and notes”
The NFL Draft outlook for Texas Longhorns quarterback Sam Ehlinger is all over the road. However Emory Hunt compared him to a Buffalo QB.
Prior to the bowl game in 2019, Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger submitted paperwork to the NFL Advisory Board. Some speculated that he might declare early and head to the NFL Draft. It wasn’t an unusual occurrence for a college player to submit paperwork. Some want to see where they stand as a draft prospect before making their decision to head to the NFL Draft or finish their college career.
Many felt that the Texas quarterback needed his senior year to develop and increase his odds of being a higher draft pick. Ehlinger decided to return to Longhorns for another year much like offensive tackle Samuel Cosmi. While Cosmi is viewed as a first-round selection, there are mix bag of reviews on Ehlinger. One team reportedly had a second-round grade on him. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler said that it could be a similar situation to Sooners quarterback Jalen Hurts.
One of the comparisons that has been tossed around is Ehlinger’s comparison to former UGA Bulldog Jake Fromm. However, according NFL Draft analyst Emory Hunt it is another Buffalo Bills passer that he compares Sam to. He was recently on Ross Tucker’s College Draft podcast to explain it.
Really interesting NFL comparison for @TexasFootball QB @sehlinger3 from @FBallGameplan on today's COLLEGE DRAFT podcast: https://t.co/qZarH1S50w pic.twitter.com/tpgpbNzyLc
— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) August 17, 2020
This season will be huge for Sam Ehlinger and his draft stock. If he can improve on his throwing rhythm and the deep ball accuracy then the sky is the limit for the Austin native. If this was a situation several years ago, Ehlinger is likely a quarterback that would be overlooked or viewed as a late-round quarterback. However with the evolution of the game he may just find himself drafted on day two.
Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions.
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The Texas Longhorns lost a 2021 commit in quarterback Jalen Milroe. Following the Ewers announcement it was speculated that he will move on.
The first wave of news coming off the Quinn Ewers commitment has hit for the Texas Longhorns. It had been widely rumored prior to Ewers’ decision to play for Texas that Jalen Milroe was being pursued by the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Nick Saban and company were hot on the trail for Milroe so it comes to no surprise for many. The quarterback room was becoming increasingly crowded for the future with Casey Thompson, Hudson Card, Ja’Quinden Jackson and Ewers. Milroe was likely to be the odd man out but now gets a new opportunity with Alabama. This would make the third recruit that Texas had its sights on that will play for Saban. The Longhorns already lost out on legacy players James and Tommy Brockermeyer.
First, I’ll like to give thanks to God for blessing me in all that I am and all that I do. I want to say thank you to Coach Herman and Coach Beck for recruiting me and giving me an opportunity to chase my dreams and further my academic and athletic career at the University of Texas. I want to also thank Coach Yurcich. I know I wasn’t initially your guy, but you continued to build a relationship with me. To the #trUTh21, you’re a special group, and you all are gonna be dangerous! Lastly, I’ll like to thank the University of Texas’ fans. You all have shown me tremendous support and love since I committed over a year ago. At this time, after taking a lot into consideration, much prayer and speaking with my parents, I have decided to decommit from UT and commit to another University thats shares my visions and aspirations. With that being said, I’ll be committing to the University of Alabama! My recruitment is 100% closed. Roll Tide!- Jalen Milroe on Twitter
— JMIL⚔️ (@JalenMilroe) August 18, 2020
The quarterback room at Texas is suddenly loaded with talent.
Texas went through a quarterback rut between the likes of Colt McCoy and Sam Ehlinger. Continue reading “Texas Football: Quarterback outlook after Ehlinger era”
CFN attempted to predict what the initial AP Poll will look like, only having five conferences available. The Longhorns came in at No. 9.
The 2020 football season is going to be a different one, with the Big Ten, Pac-12, Mountain West, and MAC canceling their fall seasons. Because of that, the AP Poll is going to look different, only composing of teams from six conferences.
College Football News attempted to predict what the initial AP Poll will look like, only having ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, American, Conference USA, and Sun Belt available for selection.
Texas made it into the top 10, coming in at No. 9. This would be the second year in a row the Longhorns will be a preseason AP top 25 team, also coming in at No. 9 last season.
Here are CFN’s full top 25 predictions:
Three other Big 12 teams make the top 25, with Oklahoma being the highest at No. 6. Iowa State sits comfortably at No. 17 while Baylor sneaks in at No. 24.
A surprise in the poll is no Oklahoma State, who is expected to contend for a spot in the Big 12 championship game. The Cowboys are set to be one of the most explosive offenses in the conference, with Spencer Sanders, Chuba Hubbard, and Tylan Wallace leading the way.
Outside of the Big 12, legendary Texas head coach Mack Brown and North Carolina nearly crack the top 10 at No. 11. The Tar Heels are coming off a 6-6 season but sophomore quarterback Sam Howell could be one of the best in the ACC.
The official AP poll will come out on Aug. 24.
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