Being the quarterback at an iconic, brand-name university brings a brighter spotlight. Any QB can be a BMOC, but when you’re The Man at a big-time school, the campus becomes national.
Such is the case for Sam “Born To Be A Longhorn” Ehlinger. The junior-to-be goes into 2019 as the on-the-field face of coach Tom Herman’s program. Texas will be flirting with preseason top 10 rankings and will be a legitimate challenger to Red River Rival Oklahoma’s hold on the Big 12 Conference championship trophy.
The Longhorns should enter the season with legitimate swagger and the swaggiest player is their quarterback. It started after UT closed out a 10-3 season with an impressive 28-21 victory over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Voted the game’s most outstanding player, Ehlinger displayed some cajones by saying, on-mic, “Weeee’re baaaaack.” (Think Carol Anne in “Poltergeist.”)
For much of the decade, as Texas struggled to rise above average in the standings, the phrase “Texas is back” was uttered each time a sliver of promise was evident. And it became a meme/joke after thudding losses (Kansas 24, Texas 21).
While Herman might have cringed at Ehlinger’s declaration, it resonated and was supported by a season that finished with double-digit victories, including a satisfying victory over OU.
“When he said that I was like, ‘Keep saying it,’ ” former defensive end Charles Omenihu told Burnt Orange Nation. “That’s the confidence this man exudes to the offense and to the whole team, and I’ve commended him so many times. And I’ll commend him again for just being the guy he is and the way he is because it’s really been transcending and inspiring to everybody on this whole team and the whole university.”
While Ehlinger won a quarterback competition his freshman season and then showed impressive improvement as a sophomore, his personality was mostly a mystery. Other than the toddler picture of him flashing the hook ‘em sign that popped up on every game telecast, Ehlinger was just an efficient quarterback wearing No. 11.
But starting with his post-Sugar Bowl statement, it appears that the Longhorns’ quarterback is going to become a media favorite.
Early in March, Ehlinger posted a Tweet thread where he made it clear that while he is “beyond grateful” for his opportunity to be on scholarship and play football, he also has misgivings about the College Sports Industrial Complex. A student in the McCombs School of Business, he’s fully aware that the UT athletic department has made over $200 million each of the last two years.
He Tweeted: “Consider a full-time unpaid internship that requires 1-4 years of participation with a minimum 40-hour work week. This internship generates millions of dollars for your company, and billions of dollars for the broadcasting companies that cover your industry. … “Within this internship, you risk your short-term and long-term health on a daily basis. You endure this internship with less than a 2% chance to advance in your industry and obtain a full-time paid job. Would you accept this position? … Now consider the full-time unpaid internship as College Athletics and the full-time paid job as Professional Sports.”
Compensating (in some form or fashion) is an ongoing debate. Ehlinger joined in the conversation with unsolicited comments that were bold and true. The Orangebloods who disagree with his stand will, for the most part, keep quiet as long as their quarterback keeps leading UT to winning seasons. Winning QBs can basically do no wrong. (Ain’t that right, Aggies?)
And Ehlinger further endeared himself to Burnt Orange Nation a few weeks later with another Twitter grenade.
Just arrived to the Austin airport after a fantastic vacation, but the amount of Texas A&M advertising efforts (around the airport) proves their large insecurity about being the little brother in the State of Texas.
— Sam Ehlinger (@sehlinger3) March 22, 2019
Calling out the “little brothers” in College Station might be enough to get UT fans to start a fund to build an Ehlinger statue. His Tweet about signage at Bergstrom International followed a similar shot at A&M advertising by Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte. Asked about the signage at the airport, Del Conte gigged the Aggies by Tweeting that not “a ton of eyeballs passing through Easterwood international airport in Bryan-College Station.”
Ehlinger’s personality is breaking out into the mainstream. That will bring even more attention. And that’s fine as long as his production also exceeds last season. Not since the day’s of “saint” Colt McCoy and “pope” Vince Young has Texas had a QB worthy of praise. Last season, Ehlinger’s 41 total touchdowns is second only to McCoy’s 45 in 2008. Among returning Power Five quarterbacks, Ehlinger’s 3,292 passing yards trail only Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa (3,966) and Stanford’s K.J. Costello (3,540).
At the beginning of spring practice, Ehlinger was asked if this was his team. His response: “No, this is our team.” That’s the type of response that tends to make a coach melt into a heap of goose-bumps.
“That’s what you want from a leader; a guy that defers the praise to his teammates and that shoulders maybe some unnecessary blame when things don’t go well,” Herman said. “That was something we didn’t have to teach him. He understands that he’s got the ultimate respect of the guys on this team and he doesn’t need to say it, brag about it, whatever.”
The last two seasons, the UT quarterback room included Texas natives Ehlinger and Shane Buechele. When Ehlinger won the starting job as a freshman, Buechele remained as a loyal teammate and ready replacement.
Buechele has transferred to SMU. Cameron Rising, who spent one redshirt season in Austin, also transferred. Redshirt freshman Casey Thompson and freshman Roschon Johnson are the other scholarship QBs. For the next nine months, Longhorns will be sweating and hoping that Ehlinger remains healthy.
