The accolades continue to pile on for Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger.
He has statistically progressed each year with the program. If the same path of development continues, he could realistically become a Heisman Trophy finalist as a senior. In 2019, he quietly surpassed several of Vince Young’s records such as career total offense, single season passing yards and total touchdowns.
That’s no easy feat, considering Young was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2019 and is arguably the best to ever play at his position. Young’s dual-threat ability was unparalleled and is something Ehlinger hoped to shape his style of play around.
He has complete control over Texas’ offense. Everything starts and ends with him, which is why Pro Football Focus considers Ehlinger the top returning player in the Big 12 conference for the 2020 season.
PFF also lists Ehlinger as the sixth-most valuable player in the country over the past two seasons.
“His arm, though, is the reason why he lands at number one on this list. Ehlinger was forced to throw into a tight window at one of the 25 highest rates last season, and he didn’t let that hinder himself or the team. His tight-window passing grade was third in the country and his rate of accurate passes thrown was the eighth best. If Ehlinger can just cut back on his tendency to bail on clean pockets, improve his overall pocket presence and trust his arm, good things can happen for him and Texas.”
Ehlinger is known for his running abilities, but his accuracy has been one of the most pleasant improvements throughout his collegiate career. With left tackle Sam Cosmi returning to anchor the offensive line unit, Ehlinger’s protection should allow an ample amount of time for him to improve on his pocket presence.
Ehlinger will leave behind a similar legacy as Colt McCoy and Vince Young if he’s able to lead Texas to a National Championship this season.