Ehlinger’s exit puts Thompson in position to be Horns’ starter
AUSTIN — The torch-passing moment arrived at halftime of the Alamo Bowl. It was an understated exchange, at least as far as these origin tales usually go.
Tom Herman smiled at thirdyear quarterback Casey Thompson. Thompson smirked back. Then Texas’ coach uttered three words, concluding one era and commencing another with one sentence.
“You’re up, kid,” Herman told Sam Ehlinger’s backup.
“Nothing really that dramatic,” Herman added following the Longhorns’ 55-23 win over Colorado on Dec. 29. “I told Casey that I believed in him and his team believed in him and, ‘Go do you.’ And he did.”
So much has changed in the week since Thompson put on a show in San Antonio, torching Colorado’s disoriented defense for 170 yards and four touchdowns on 8-for-10 passing over five immaculate second-half drives.
Texas fired Herman and replaced him with Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian. Most if not all of Herman’s staff will soon be ousted.
And Ehlinger declined to make use of the NCAA’s blanket eligibility waiver, declaring for the 2021 NFL draft after four years as the face of Texas football.
So what was still uncertain in the aftermath of the Alamo Bowl
has become, if not a sure thing, far more likely. Texas is about to become Thompson’s team.
“My thought process was very positive, and I had positive selftalk,” Thompson said after his first meaningful in-game action. “I felt very comfortable in the moment. I believe in what we can do and what I can do.
“I’ve been preparing for this moment since I stepped foot on campus, and to me, it just felt like high school. You know, football is football. Obviously, at a higher level, but I felt prepared, and I was ready.”
Thompson almost wasn’t around for that epochal moment in San Antonio.
His name appeared in the NCAA transfer portal in December 2018, a couple weeks before Texas was to face No. 5 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
Then a redshirt freshman lost on the depth chart, Thompson nearly followed junior Shane Buechele (SMU) and redshirt freshman Cameron Rising (Utah) in transferring to escape Ehlinger’s considerable shadow.
But Thompson chose to bet on himself and stay, remaining Ehlinger’s understudy and top backup until the time came for a change. And when it did, he was prepared.
“It was unique, you know, having to re-recruit two guys that, obviously, we didn’t cut their aid, something that we could have done,” Herman said of the Thompson-Rising transfer saga in July 2019. “We wanted them back. We wanted them both back, because we saw a lot of potential in both of them.
“We’re lucky that Casey has returned, and hopefully this is just a minor blip in the path to his success here at Texas.”
Thompson, with his talent and temperament, seems an ideal choice to lead Texas as it undergoes yet another identity transformation.
Six true freshmen and one redshirt freshman started the Alamo Bowl after a slew of opt-outs by several upperclassmen, and just about all of them looked like they’ll be critical pieces in the program’s latest rebuild.
The offense already seems to have a Big Three in place for next season with Thompson running the show, tailback Bijan Robinson ready to explode following a breakout true freshman campaign and Joshua Moore growing into an explosive No. 1 receiver.
Throw in playmakers like Jordan Whittington, Roschon Johnson and Kelvontay Dixon, plus an offensive line that manhandled Colorado, and Sarkisian will have plenty to work with after leaving behind Alabama’s historic offense.
Of course, no one is going to hand Thompson the job. He still has to fend off what should be a fierce challenge from redshirt freshman Hudson Card, the nation’s No. 2 dual-threat quarterback during the 2020 recruiting cycle, per the 247Sports composite.
“I’ve been preparing every week and every day as if I’m gonna be the starter,” Thompson said after dismantling Colorado. “So that’s how I approach every day, and going into this game, that’s how I approached it. It’s no disrespect to the other guys you know in the quarterback room. We do a great job of pushing and competing with each other.
“I think it’ll be a very fun offseason. As far as a quarterback battle, I have no say in that. I can just control what I can control, and I think today I did.”
“I felt very comfortable in the moment. I believe in what we can do and what I can do.” Texas quarterback Casey Thompson after the Alamo Bowl