Since Charlie Strong’s took over of the Texas program, the Longhorns have successfully recruited at quarterback. On Tuesday, Texas landed a commitment from 2017 target Sam Ehlinger of Austin (TX) Westlake. The hometown product competed at the UT Elite Passing Academy and was offered following an extended evaluation.
Ehlinger made it no secret that he was a big fan of Texas and chose to pull the trigger on a commitment soon after receiving an offer. The addition of Westlake’s trigger man means that three quarterbacks committed to UT over the last six months, setting up important depth in three different recruiting cycles.
Ehlinger burst onto the scene starting in his sophomore season at Westlake, and Texas quarterback coach Shawn Watson made it a priority to get in on Ehlinger early. Ehlinger ranked at number eleven in the HornSports 2017 Top 50 and chose the Longhorns over offers from SMU and Houston along with strong interest from a number of other schools.
At Westlake, Ehlinger is guided by a former Longhorn and high school coaching legend in Todd Dodge. Westlake is a program steeped in history that produced NFL quarterbacks Nick Foles and Drew Brees, and Ehlinger will certainly look to follow in their footsteps.
Film Analysis
At 6’2, 210 pounds, Ehlinger has a projectable frame with room to add bulk. His mechanics are clinical and he utilizes a quick release with excellent footwork to deploy the ball.
Ehlinger has decent arm strength throwing outside the numbers with the ability to amp up his zip on passes over the middle. As a student of the Todd Dodge school of quarterbacking, he understands how to read and execute through progressions within a spread offense. With excellent touch and accuracy, especially on the deep ball, Ehlinger is not one to take unnecessary chances with the ball.
His foot speed is only adequate, but Ehlinger does possess the ability to extend plays with his legs either by to picking up rushing yards or throwing on the run. Perhaps his best trait is a high level of awareness and pocket presence which allows him to extend plays within the pocket by moving to avoid pressure. Ehlinger also shows some ability in the open field to avoid tacklers and protect himself from big hits while making plays on the run.
Final Verdict
The obvious comparison for Ehlinger is Colt McCoy when he first got to campus. However, Ehlinger is more physically developed that McCoy at the same age, and he should grow a bit more before making it to campus. In a loaded year at the quarterback position in Texas, Ehlinger is one of the top prospects who will continue to receive interest from many other schools.
With two full high school seasons yet to play, it’s difficult to accurately project the Westlake signal caller’s collegiate ceiling. That said, Ehlinger has the skill to be a 2-3 year starter and has NFL-quality tools. With those two high school seasons of growth and development in front of him, Ehlinger will continue to move up or down based on extended observation.
