Former Texas running back Ricky Williams is hesitant to put too high of expectations on the Longhorns football team as a whole, but there is one particular player that he confidently believes in.
Williams currently serves as an analyst for the Longhorn Network’s in-season coverage. Austin’s 104.9’s The Horn recently interviewed the former Heisman Trophy winner on his views regarding the upcoming season.
Although Williams admitted that his expectations were a bit too high entering the 2019 season, he won’t let it waiver his confidence in current quarterback Sam Ehlinger.
“The one expectation that I’m not going to give up is, and this is a team thing, but I want to see Sam in New York at the end of the year for the Heisman Trophy ceremony.”
Ehlinger’s numbers were sufficient enough throughout his junior season to be considered for college football’s highest honor. He compiled 3,663 yards passing, 35 touchdowns through the air, 663 yards rushing, and seven rushing touchdowns.
However, his team as a whole wasn’t consistent enough.
Williams believes the team was too conservation throwing the ball last season. If Texas can put receivers around Ehlinger and get the running game back on track, the former Longhorn legend is confident that Ehlinger can get the job done.
The Longhorns experienced a drop in the quality of the receiving corps last season after Lil’Jordan Humphrey went to the NFL. Senior Collin Johnson was sidelined with a hamstring injury throughout 2019, leaving Devin Duvernay to carry the load as best as he could.
“Receivers need to take this attitude that we have a wonderful quarterback, we need to make sure to catch everything because when Sam can drop back and just throw the ball and have confidence that the receivers are going to catch the ball, there’s no better player, in my opinion, in the country.”
It will be a fresh look of young receivers in 2020 under new offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich. With the departures of Johnson and Duvernay, receivers Brennan Eagles, Jake Smith, Marcus Washington, Joshua Moore, and Jordan Whittington will be competing to fill the void.
The running game will have an excellent position battle in itself, with five-star running back Bijan Robinson joining the fold.
Williams was the most recent Heisman Trophy winner out of Texas in 1998, therefore his words carry a bit of weight. Ehlinger has consistently proven that he can put the team on his back and produce in big moments. Although quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields are the favorites to win the Heisman in 2020, Ehlinger should at least be considered a finalist.
If Texas can be consistent, every accolade is within arms reach for Ehlinger in his senior season.