Tom Herman thanks his lucky stars Sam Ehlinger is his starting quarterback.
Without Sam Ehlinger, Tom Herman would have had plenty of sleepless nights this offseason.
The head coach of Texas football spoke with FOX’s Joel Klatt about the importance of having a player like Ehlinger as the face of his program. Together, Herman and Ehlinger have Texas on the precipice of being back. Knowing the type of character he has and his all-around playing still, Herman doesn’t have to stay up at night worrying about what he’s getting at quarterback.
"Knowing that No. 11 was coming back for his senior year provided a stabilizing force not only in our locker room, but for us as a staff."@TexasFootball head coach @CoachTomHerman shares what it means to have @sehlinger3 returning this season 🤘 pic.twitter.com/9JvlbvNbF1
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 9, 2020
Can Tom Herman, Sam Ehlinger finally get Texas football back in 2020?
Though Ehlinger could have gone pro after his junior season, he made the right choice to return to Austin for his senior season. Ehlinger may be a terrific college quarterback, but he would have only been day-three pick had he gone pro like Jake Fromm did out of Georgia. By returning to Texas in 2020, Ehlinger gives the Longhorns their best shot at winning a national title since 2009.
Texas will play a nine-plus-one formatted schedule which will allow the ‘Horns to play all of their conference rivals, as well as one non-conference opponent before hopefully getting to the Big 12 Championship game in Arlington. Texas is projected to finish as the runner-up to the Oklahoma Sooners in the conference title bout, probably one of the first two teams out of the playoff picture.
The Big 12 may not have the gravitas of the SEC in being able to get two teams in. Keep in mind the national title hopeful Notre Dame Fighting Irish are playing in the ACC this season, so that Power 5 conference has two very strong teams at the top of it as well. However, Ehlinger is right up there with Notre Dame’s Ian Book as the most experienced passer not named Trevor Lawrence.
For the first time in years, it feels like Oklahoma is at least somewhat vulnerable. Even though Spencer Rattler is a former five-star recruit out of the Greater Phoenix Area, he’s still only a redshirt freshman. Perhaps experience, leadership and mental toughness will give the ‘Horns the edge over the Sooners in this year’s rendition of the Red River Rivalry? It will be a fantastic game.
Herman may have 99 problems to sort through this season, but Ehlinger sure isn’t one of them.
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