2020 Heisman Trophy rankings: Justin Fields, Trevor Lawrence lead top 10 candidates

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - DECEMBER 07: Justin Fields #01 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates after a touchdown in the Big Ten Championship game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 07, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

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FORT WORTH, TX – OCTOBER 26: Texas Longhorns quarterback Sam Ehlinger (#11) winds up for a pass during the Big 12 conference college football game between the Texas Longhorns and TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, TX. (Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

6. Sam Ehlinger, QB, Texas

Man, this one feels like disappointment and heartbreak waiting to happen. Sam Ehlinger and the Texas Longhorns entered the 2019 college football season with enormous expectations of being “back”. Instead, they were one of the biggest letdowns in the country as they finished just 7-5 on the season and the star quarterback, who was on many a Heisman watch list to start the year, wasn’t nearly the player many hoped he’d be.

To be sure, Ehlinger was still able to put up some impressive numbers on the year. The quarterback improved his completion rate from 2018 to 65.1 percent while throwing for a career-high 3,462 yards and career-high 29 touchdowns — though he did throw nine interceptions, the most that he’s thrown in a single season since arriving in Austin.

Where Ehlinger very much took a step back, however, was in terms of his red zone prowess as a rusher. Though he only carried the ball 12 fewer times in 2019 than he did in 2018 (and though he actually had more overall yards), Ehlinger had 10 fewer rushing touchdowns (6) than he did in his previous season (16). That’s not exactly how you capture the imagination of voters, especially amidst a barely-above-.500 season.

Perhaps the biggest thing that Ehlinger could do to help his candidacy would be to get the Longhorns back in serious contention on a national level, or at least in the Big 12. If that happens, the quarterback is going to have to be a major part of that, which should then put him in a position to make a run as the award.

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