Texas Football: Joel Klatt doesn’t believe Ehlinger should return in 2021

An up and down season for Texas football as a whole is about to come to an end for senior star quarterback Sam Ehlinger, as is his college career.

There was some speculation at the outset of the 2020 season, and likely still will be heading into the offseason, as to if Texas football senior star quarterback Sam Ehlinger would want to retain his extra year of eligibility and return to the Forty Acres next season. The NCAA approved a rule so that each college athlete participating in their 2020-21 academic calendar season wouldn’t have to burn a year of eligibility.

Since Ehlinger definitely bleeds burnt orange, some figured he would take advantage of the opportunity to return for the Longhorns for a fifth year. But considering the fact that he participated in the senior festivities on Senior Day, and he hasn’t announced intentions to return for another year, would lead one to believe that he won’t return next year.

Ehlinger has also accepted an invite to participate in the Reese’s Senior Bowl. That is another big indication that he won’t return to the Forty Acres next year.

And one prominent voice in the college football media landscape doesn’t think it would be a good idea for Ehlinger to return for one more year either. Joel Klatt gave his take that it wouldn’t be a good move for Ehlinger to return last week, still stating he is one of the best at his position in program history as it stands now. Here’s more on what Klatt had to say on the matter (monologue thanks to 247Sports).

"“This is going to be our last time to cover Sam and even though eligibility is frozen and Sam would have the option (to return), I just don’t sense he’s going to come back,” Klatt said during the fourth quarter of Saturday’s broadcast. “I think he’s going to move on. Casey Thompson would be involved with Hudson Card, true freshman No. 1, maybe Ja’Quinden Jackson as well in a battle for the quarterback spot moving forward."

Ehlinger had a solid senior campaign so far, even with the roller coaster ride of a season that it was for the Longhorns as a whole. In nine games played so far this season, Ehlinger registered 2,406 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns, just five interceptions, 382 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns.

He did all that while registering a 149.9 passer efficiency rating, 8.8 adjusted yards per passing attempt, and a 60.1 completion percentage.

As a whole, Ehlinger is without a doubt one of the most statistically impressive quarterbacks in program history. It does leave a mark on his track record that he won’t get a Big 12 Championship, or an appearance in a College Football Playoff, but not all of that blame should fall on his shoulders.

Texas carries a record of 6-3 (5-3 Big 12) heading into their regular season finale on Dec. 12 on the road in Lawrence against head coach Les Miles and the winless Kansas Jayhawks. That could be one of just two games remaining in Ehlinger’s Texas career.