Texas Football: 5 captain candidates for the Longhorns in 2018

This spot falls to the starting quarterback by default. Texas does have one of its more advantageous starting quarterback situations since the end of the Colt McCoy-era, following the 2009 campaign. The current quarterback competition for the Horns falls between rising sophomore Sam Ehlinger and rising junior Shane Buechele.

Ehlinger does have that “it factor” that every coach would be looking for to lead the offense. His dual-threat ability allows Ehlinger to put the game on his shoulders completely if need be. That puts a ton of control in his hands, and allows him to become a more effective leaders if things turn out in his favor each week.

Moreover, as a true freshman, Ehlinger helped the Horns stay in a ton of contests that they might not have been competitive in otherwise. He has that clutch factor to keep his team in the game. Now, he just needs to take that next step forward to actually win some of those games that come down to the wire.

We’ll see how the quarterback battle plays out under Herman in fall camp. The starting quarterback role seems to favor Ehlinger as of now. And, he finished the 2017 campaign with more momentum than Buechele. It’s always nice to have your quarterback as one of your most known leaders on offense.