Ehlinger, Buechele vie for job
Beck: Fall camp’s best quarterback will be the starter.
— The Longhorns will start practice July 31 but won’t start the season until Sept. 2 against Maryland. That’s a long time for quarterbacks Shane Buechele and Sam Ehlinger to throw a lot of footballs. A lot. Texas offensive coordinator Tim Beck acknowledged Monday that he’s spoken with both players about their practice snaps and “taking care of their arm” throughout August. And he refuses to say whether Buechele, the returning starter, will be the No. 1 option against the Terps.
“First of all, we have fall camp, and the quarterback that plays the best in fall camp is going to be the quarterback,” Beck said Monday at the Texas High School Coaches Association’s annual coaching convention. “That’s first and foremost; finding a guy that’s going to lead our football team to victories, whoever that is.”
Beck said both players will have “ample opportunity to prove to the staff and the team who’s that guy.”
Buechele, a sophomore from Arlington, proved himself a more accurate passer this spring while Ehlinger, the early enrollee from Westlake, was a better runner.
Herman will use quarterback-turned-receiver Jerrod Heard in emergencies only.
The Longhorns’ quarterback depth chart will look radically different in 2018, though. Buechele will have two years of experience, Ehlinger will have one, and UT will add recruits Cameron Rising and Casey Thompson.
Waiting on Moore: Perhaps it was merely unabashed optimism, but Beck said “we’ve got a graduate transfer” at tight end.
Texas coaches expect Kendall Moore, a Syracuse graduate, to enroll this summer. But it hasn’t happened officially yet, a team source said.
Asked about the tight end position, Beck said the coaching staff evaluated the players they had through 14 spring practices and the OrangeWhite game.
“There are some young players that came in, (and) we’ve got a graduate transfer, so there are some situations there that that position’s going to be looked at to see who can help us in there,” Beck said.
UT coach Tom Herman has expressed serious concern about the depth at tight end for months. Senior Andrew Beck, who has 16 career starts, has a fairly long injury history. Peyton Aucoin transferred out.
It had been unclear whether freshman Reese Leitao would be allowed to join the program after pleading guilty to misdemeanor drug possession. But UT athletic director Mike Perrin allowed him to keep his scholarship. Herman said Leitao will be suspended for the first two games.
Moore would add quality experience. He had 14 catches for 150 yards and two touchdowns in 37 career games with the Orange. He missed the last eight games in 2015 due to injury.