• Texas QB odyssey is over: Sam Ehlinger is the man,
Texas Longhorn football this decade has fired Mack Brown, hired and fired Charlie Strong, and hired Tom Herman. But Texas really hasn’t been looking for a head coach. The Longhorns have been looking for a quarterback.
The search is over. For most of seven years, the ‘Horns had glorious quarterbacking from Vince Young and Colt McCoy. But then came a Texas-sized slump; 48 losses in eight seasons, and the Longhorns slipped far in Big 12 success and national prestige. Texas’ QB search went from Garrett Gilbert to David Ash to Case McCoy to Tyrone Swoopes to Jerrod Heard to Shane Buechele to finally Sam Ehlinger. Only McCoy in that group started as a senior.
But the ‘Horns have found their heart’s desire. And not coincidentally, Texas is in the Big 12 Championship Game, playing the hated Sooners on Saturday in Arlington’s JerryWorld.
This 21st-century odyssey ended with a 20th-century quarterback. Ehlinger is a roughand-tumble QB. More Bobby Layne than Tua Tagovailoa. Ehlinger has completed only 61 percent of his career passes through two seasons; not good numbers in this video-game age. Ehlinger might play fullback in the NFL. He’d make a perfect Memphis Grizzly. Grit’n and grind.
But Ehlinger is effective. The ‘Horns have a potent offense, and Ehlinger is the unquestioned leader.
“It’s great to see a quarterback with that kind of grit,” said Texas flanker Collin Johnson. “Sometimes you think quarterbacks are finesse and don’t like getting hit and things like that, but Sam has that grit … I’m glad to have him on my team.”
Ehlinger has come out on that right side of a public spat with Sooner superstar Kyler Murray, who took exception to Ehlinger’s attempts at the ceremonial post-game handshake after Texas’ 48-45 upset of OU on October 6. Since then, Murray has declined offers to compliment Ehlinger, while Ehlinger has said he “absolutely respects” Murray’s game.
Of course he does. Just as Murray, deep down, knows how valuable Ehlinger has become to Longhorn football.
It’s foolish to argue against Ehlinger’s performance in the Cotton Bowl eight weeks ago: 24 of 35 passing for 314 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Plus 72 yards rushing— to go with his career-high 110 yards rushing against the Sooners last season. Two of Ehlinger’s four biggest passing games and two of his three biggest running games have come against Oklahoma.
Beware, Sooners. This guy likes to play in this series.
“Competitor,” Herman said of his quarterback. “He’s just extremely competitive. He’s a great leader. He’s an alpha male. He relates to every corner of the locker room. There’s not a kid in that locker room that doesn’t respect him and like him.”
Ehlinger was a bigtime recruit out of Austin Westlake High School— arch-rival of Mayfield’s Lake Travis, so Ehlinger is the sworn enemy of both of Lincoln Riley’s QB phenoms.
That’s OK with Ehlinger, and that’s OK with Texas, which has finally found its quarterback and thus finds itself in the Big 12 title game.