Texas lands in final AP Top 25 poll

After an underwhelming 2019 season, the Texas Longhorns still landed in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll.

After an underwhelming 2019 season with five losses, the Texas Longhorns still managed to secure a spot in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll.

Although Texas was the third-best team in the Big 12, their performance against No. 11 Utah in the Alamo Bowl was enough to re-enter into the final standings at No. 25 overall.

Only two other Big 12 teams were listed, Oklahoma at No. 7 while Baylor grabbed the No. 13 spot. Former rival Texas A&M just missed the final rankings, falling below the Longhorns in what would be the No. 26 spot.

Texas was the only five-loss team in the season-ending poll.

Ehlinger tops Burrow in PFF’s QB passing grades when blitzed in 2019

Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger is listed No. 2 on PFF’s passing grades when blitzed this season.

Sam Ehlinger is already mentioned as one of the top quarterbacks to play at the University of Texas, but it’s becoming more clear that his numbers are among the nations best.

Although PFF is primarily proprietary and does not divulge specifics into how the grades are calculated, it is a highly regarded resource for premium statistics and analysis at both the college and professional levels.

A lead college football analyst for PFF, Cam Mellor, listed the top five quarterbacks in terms of passing grades when blitzed this season.

Listed just below Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, but notably above Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow, Ehlinger has been impressive at Texas in terms of individual statistics.

Could he gain more hype if he were at one of the more successful programs in the country? Definitely. Does the quality of the opposing defenses impact these grades? Sure.

His 2019 season still shouldn’t be overlooked. Ehlinger finished with 3,663 passing yards and 32 total touchdowns including the Longhorns impressive victory over No. 11 Utah in the Alamo Bowl. Against LSU, who is now competing in the National Championship, Ehlinger threw for 401 yards and four touchdowns.

The calm, confident, and edgy Texas quarterback was at his best when opposing defenses tried to blitz him. Receiver Devin Duvernay was likely Ehlinger’s favorite go-to target.

Ehlinger surpassed former quarterback Vince Young in single season passing yards, total yards of offense, and total touchdowns in 2019.

In terms of cementing his name alongside the nation’s best college quarterbacks, Ehlinger will need to lead this Texas team to a National Championship in 2020.

2020 Texas Longhorns: Sam Ehlinger Profile

Sam Ehlinger decided to come back to the Texas Longhorns for his final year, what can we expect from the leader of the team?

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.

It’s all in the Cards; Texas has QB Ehlinger’s successor

There’s a bright future expected for dual-threat quarterback Hudson Card, one of Texas’ top commitments in their 2020 class. With only one year of eligibility left, current quarterback Sam Ehlinger will be able to assist in grooming Card to become …

There’s a bright future expected for dual-threat quarterback Hudson Card, one of Texas’ top commitments in their 2020 class.

With only one year of eligibility left, current quarterback Sam Ehlinger will be able to assist in grooming Card to become the starter as soon as the 2021 season.

Following in Ehlinger’s footsteps quite literally, Card is also an Austin native who occupied a spot on the Elite 11 Finals roster, the nation’s premier quarterback competition.

The four-star prospect had a breakout junior season with 3,543 passing yards, 50 touchdowns, and four interceptions at Lake Travis. Although Card was sidelined six weeks in 2019 due to a foot injury, similar to Ehlinger’s senior season in high school, Card participated in the 2020 Under Armour All-America game in Orlando this month.

It doesn’t appear that the foot injury hindered Card’s play in any way. After earning the start for Team Pressure in the All-America game, Card completed his first four passes and had the game-deciding touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter.

Card possesses sufficient height at 6-2.5 and expects to bulk up his frame at the next level. If there’s one attribute that may exceed Ehlinger, it’s Card’s accuracy within the pocket. They both use their quickness, creativity, and athleticism to escape the rush, but Card’s touch on downfield throws is impressive.

If the cards are played right, the Longhorns are fortunate to have this signal caller for the future.

Texas QB Sam Ehlinger announces return for senior season

Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger officially announces decision to return for senior season.

Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger officially put to rest any speculation regarding his future via Twitter moments ago.

After a record-setting junior season, Ehlinger requested feedback from the NFL’s College Advisory Committee to determine where he would be projected to be selected in the 2020 NFL Draft. Most draft eligible players tend to do this on a fact-finding basis.

The Austin native surpassed several of former quarterback Vince Young’s records throughout 2019. In fact, Ehlinger now only trails former quarterback Colt McCoy in completions, passing yards, and passing touchdowns in a single season.

According to WalterFootball.com, Ehlinger was projected as the No. 14 quarterback in the 2020 draft class. If he were to declare this year, he would likely be a day three selection.

If Ehlinger’s no quit attitude on the field is any indication of his decisions made off the field, there are much higher goals to obtain.

Since arriving on the Forty Acres in 2017, Ehlinger has drastically improved each season. If he continues to develop throughout his fourth year, his draft stock will undoubtedly increase.

Ehlinger threw for 3,663 yards and 32 touchdowns in 2019.

Five players that need to step up in 2020

If these players can take a step up, Texas is going to be sitting well next season. Here are five players that need to step up in 2020.

The win over Utah in the Alamo Bowl was a great way to end a rather lackluster 2019 season. The minute that game was over, the focus was onto the 2020 season. Much like this time last year, there is a lot of hype and speculation as to what type of team will show out for the Longhorns next season.

While it will more than likely be better than the 7-5 season from this year, there is a lot of room for improvement to take that next step up. New offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich and new defensive coordinator Chris Ash should be able to bring that improvement, but when it comes down to it, the players must execute.

In a season that Texas will return a lot of talent, some of the same players that were critical in the 2019 season will need to continue to do what they are doing. Especially on the defensive side of the ball, where Texas struggled for most of the season. If these players can take a step up in 2020, the Longhorns are going to be sitting well next season.

Here are five players that need to step up in 2020:

Texas Longhorns: Five Areas To Improve In 2020

The Texas Longhorns finished the year 8-5 but here are five areas to get even better in 2020.

Even with the Texas Longhorns victory over the Utah Utes to cap off a 8-5 campaign, there are plenty of areas where the team can improve upon in 2020. The Longhorns will be looking to get to double digit wins for only the second time since 2009 that ended a run of nine consecutive 10-win seasons under Mack Brown.

Defense Needs To Create Turnovers

For any offense, creating turnovers is their best friend. It gives the offense some advantages in that they deal with short fields and the Longhorns could do well to put pressure on the opposing offense that really can play right into the hands of the defense.

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

The Longhorns created 22 turnover opportunities under Todd Orlando and with the recent hire of Chris Ash, Texas needs to continue to create more opportunities for Sam Ehlinger and the offense. D’Shawn Jamison led the team with three picks in 2019.

Chris Ash will be looking to bring some of that 2014 Ohio State magic to the Longhorns defense. That season, the Buckeyes tallied 25 interceptions. Ash has a big opportunity to create a defense that Texas has been missing for the last several years.

Sam Ehlinger’s 2019 season quietly surpasses Vince Young

Quarterback Sam Ehlinger has surpassed Vince Young in three primary statistical categories.

Former Texas quarterback Vince Young was arguably the best to ever play at his position, it likely came as no surprise that he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2019.

As a junior, Young was given the Davey O’Brien award for the best quarterback in the nation. If you’ve seen the historic fourth-down scramble in the 2006 Rose Bowl to win the National Championship, it’s clear that Young’s dual-threat ability was unparalleled.

These particular accolades don’t happen without having incredible individual statistics. Although former quarterback Colt McCoy had an impressive four-year career at Texas and continues to hold numerous records, current quarterback Sam Ehlinger has quietly passed Young in several categories.

Young declared for the NFL Draft as a junior, while Ehlinger has just completed his junior season with the program. Within those three respective seasons, Ehlinger has moved ahead of Young in career total offense, single season passing yards, and total touchdowns.

Surpassing a Hall of Famer’s numbers are always worth noting, right?

Total Offense Yards

Ehlinger: 10,400

Young: 9,167

Total Touchdowns

Ehlinger: 93

Young: 81

Single Season Passing Yards

Ehlinger: 3,663 in 2019

Young: 3,036 in 2005

It’s easy to see why Vince Young and Colt McCoy remain the pride and joy of Austin, TX. But if Ehlinger continues to improve throughout his senior season, there’s no doubt that he will leave a similar legacy behind.

All he’s missing is a National Championship now.

Sam Ehlinger and Drew Brees share Alamo Bowl history

Texas’ win over Utah was the second-largest upset in Alamo Bowl history. The largest upset was in 1998 when Drew Brees defeated No. 4 KSU.

Going into Tuesday’s Alamo Bowl, Utah was ranked No. 11 in the College Football Playoff standings. Texas took care of business against the Utes, pulling out a dominating 38-10 victory. It was the highest-ranked team the Longhorns had beaten unranked since last season’s victory over No. 17 TCU.

It was also the second-largest upset in the history of the Alamo Bowl. The largest upset in 1998 when now New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees defeated No. 4 Kansas State.

Both Ehlinger and Brees attended Westlake High School in Austin, TX. The now Texas quarterback graduated in 2016, while the former Purdue signal-caller graduated in 1996.

Purdue won the 1998 Alamo Bowl 37-34 after the Wildcats lost in the Big 12 championship in double overtime. Much like the Longhorns, the Boilermakers were able to take advantage of a team off an emotional loss.

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Sam Ehlinger’s 2019 Season Accolades

Sam Ehlinger’s junior season has put himself in striking distance of some all-time Texas records.

The 2019 college football season ended for the Texas Longhorns on a high note, thanks in no small part due to the play of junior quarterback Sam Ehlinger. When you look at the five best passing seasons in Texas history there are only two names listed, Ehlinger and Colt McCoy. Against Utah, the former Austin Westlake product threw for 201 yards to put him in second all-time. McCoy still holds the record with 3,859 yards in 2008 and Ehlinger finishes his junior season with 3,663 yards.

With his second quarter touchdown pass to Collin Johnson, Sam became only the second Texas quarterback ever to throw for 30 touchdowns in a single season. The other, Colt McCoy, was in attendance as an honorary captain for the Texas Longhorns.

Should Ehlinger return in 2020 as a senior, he has a shot to match McCoy’s all-time Texas passing record. In four seasons, Colt passed for 13,253 yards. Sam would need 4,383 yards to match it. With a new offensive coordinator for Texas in Mike Yurcich, it might be possible. His quarterback this year only threw for 3,273 yards but that offense was led by coordinator Kevin Wilson. Yurcich’s offense could put more of premium on throwing for Texas.

With a 73-yard performance on the ground Ehlinger is inching ever so closely to third place on the all-time rushing list at quarterback. In his career, Sam has 1,526 yards just 45 yards shy of Colt McCoy. Ehlinger will need 437 yards next season to match Marty Akins to become second all-time in Texas history. Without going bonkers with 2,000 yards rushing, Ehlinger won’t be able to catch Vince Young.

All in all, it was a good season for Ehlinger who looks to raise his game again should he return in 2020. Sam has until January 17th to decide on his future of football at Texas or to make the jump to the NFL.