Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger needs to be shown more love in 2020 Heisman picture

Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger is the best player in the Big 12 and his dual-threat skills should have him getting much more love in the Heisman race.

The latest Heisman odds are out and Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger is not getting the love he should be after a pair of stellar seasons the last two years for the Longhorns.

Ehlinger has the fifth-best odds, according to William Hill, behind Justin Fields, Trevor Lawrence, Jamie Newman and Spencer Rattler. To be fair, Fields and Lawrence should be the two leading candidates. Fields was a Heisman finalist last year and Lawrence has led Clemson to the National Championship Game the last two years and probably will make it three years in a row.

But it’s an absolute joke Ehlinger is not third in the 2020 Heisman odds.

How is Newman receiving the third-best Heisman odds when he hasn’t played a game at Georgia and he was pretty mediocre at Wake Forest when Sage Suratt wasn’t on the field? And am I to believe Kirby Smart is going to let the offense open up and allow Newman to make the types of throws and runs needed to stack the yards and touchdowns in order to win the Heisman?

I have faith in Smart winning the SEC East again but not in trusting a quarterback to put up a Heisman resume.

Rattler is getting the benefit of the doubt because of the school he plays for, which is understandable since it’s been a Heisman factory in recent years. Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray won and then Jalen Hurts was the runner-up in his first year with the Sooners after transferring from Alabama.

He’s also a former five-star recruit so he has the tools to thrive in Lincoln Riley’s offense. He has a lot of potential and should be a great player for the Sooners in time. But he’s never started a game and has 11 career pass attempts.

For Rattler to have better Heisman odds than Ehlinger who has combined to score 80 touchdowns the last two seasons combined is criminal. It’s like he’s viewed as a dark horse Heisman candidate and not a potential winner he definitely can be. The odds aren’t a ranking more as a reflection of how they want the money to flow in. But still, it’s an egregious error to have Ehlinger behind two players who very well might not be good. Ehlinger came the closest to beating Joe Burrow and the undefeated LSU Tigers last year. That wasn’t a fluke.

We already know Ehlinger is great. And he’s poised to play his best football this season.

Ehlinger is the best player in the Big 12 and it’s finally his time to lead the Longhorns to the Big 12 championship and a potential berth in the College Football Playoff.

It’s early May so I’m not going to say Texas is back. However, if Texas is going to get back, Ehlinger is the type of player and leader capable of getting them back in a position to contend for a national championship.

He’s the type of player who can will a team to rally behind him and follow his example. And he showed another example of his character off the field when he set up a GoFundMe to help those affected by COVID-19.

It’s the type of wholesome All-American credentials that had ESPN broadcaster and college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit comparing Ehlinger to Tebow when he picked Texas to make the playoff last year.

Ehlinger’s Heisman candidacy will hinge on rushing for about 800 yards and 15 touchdowns and throw for 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns. Those should be the benchmarks Ehlinger wants to hit on a personal level. The best Heisman case will be putting those numbers up over the season that ends with Texas winning the Big 12. If he does that, he’ll be a lock to be in New York for the Heisman presentation.

And depending on what happens in Clemson and Ohio State with Lawrence and Fields, Ehlinger might be able to pull off an upset and be the first Longhorn to win the Heisman since Ricky Williams in 1998.

The preseason Heisman favorite rarely wins anyway, so maybe having the fifth-best odds will serve as a little motivation for him in his offseason workouts and betting on Ehlinger can result in a nice little payday too.

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