Texas Football: Do the Longhorns have anyone who is elite in 2018?
This one is a tough one to figure out. Texas should hope that sophomore quarterback Sam Ehlinger makes natural strides to progress his passing game in 2018. The rushing ability of Ehlinger comes without question, which is what could eventually make him an elite quarterback in the Big 12.
However, Ehlinger has so far to go before he’s even considered in the realm of “elite”. Tossing 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions the season previous means there’s a lot of work left to do in the development of Ehlinger. Pocket presence and arm mechanics are two of the tasks that Ehlinger needed to hit during the off-season.
The raw talent also comes without question for Ehlinger. He was originally a highly touted four-star dual-threat quarterback prospect out of Lake Travis High School in Austin. He’s a hometown kid that had some nice showings last season. Ehlinger still led the Horns in rushing yards in 2017.
Next: Early bold predictions for Texas football in 2018
Too many freshman mistakes were made by Ehlinger last year. His overtime interception thrown against the Oklahoma State Cowboys was costly. A fumble in the road loss against the USC Trojans was difficult. But, all those experiences can have a positive impact for Ehlinger this season if he looks at them in the right light. He still has a long way to go, though.