Texas Football: Rivals release heartfelt statements on passing of Jake Ehlinger
Those around the Longhorns family mourned together after the tragic passing of the former Texas football walk-on linebacker and sophomore Jake Ehlinger on the afternoon of May 6. According to a report from Brian Davis of the Austin American-Statesman on May 6, Ehlinger was found dead near the campus of the University of Texas by Austin police in the early afternoon on Thursday.
The college football landscape rallied around the Ehlinger and Longhorn family in the hours following the news of the tragic passing of Jake. Statements released from current and former Longhorns, competing players, Texas administration, etc. released statements giving their thoughts and prayers to the Ehlinger family in the past 12-18 hours.
From current and former Oklahoma Sooners quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Spencer Rattler, to the Texas A&M Aggies athletic director Ross Bjork, usual Longhorns rivals also sent their thoughts and prayers to the Ehlinger family via statements released on social media on May 6 and 7. This loss was felt around the entire college football landscape and throughout the Big 12.
Statements on the passing of Texas football LB Jake Ehlinger
https://twitter.com/spencerrattler/status/1390442633273565187?s=21
Prayers up for you and your family man, @sehlinger3. Extremely sorry for your loss. City of Austin is here for y’all.
— Baker Mayfield (@bakermayfield) May 6, 2021
https://twitter.com/rossbjorkad/status/1390422512362741761?s=21
Ehlinger was set to enter his junior season with the Longhorns this fall. He was a preferred walk-on that joined his brother, and star quarterback Sam Ehlinger, back in 2019 with former Texas head coach Tom Herman. He hadn’t played in a down of regular season or postseason game action in his two years with the Longhorns. But he did have some spring game exposure.
A product of Westlake High School in the Longhorns backyard in Austin, Ehlinger was a standout linebacker. In his final season playing in high school for Westlake back in 2017, Ehlinger registered 104 tackles, seven tackles for loss, four sacks, four forced fumbles, and two pass breakups.
Next. 3 important transfer portal targets in May. dark
The 5-foot-11 and 245 pound Austin native Ehlinger was also a two-time Big 12 Commissioners Honor Roll selection. It was less than one week ago that Jake watched his brother Sam get picked up by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. And now the Longhorns family mourns his tragic passing at too young of age.