The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Ehlinger named Co-Big 12 Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year
12.22.2020 | Football
The senior quarterback is the second Longhorn to earn the honor in the last four years.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Football senior quarterback Sam Ehlinger was named Co-Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the league office announced Tuesday. Ehlinger is the second Longhorn to win the award that was established during the 2012-13 academic year, joining 2017 recipient Michael Dickson.
Ehlinger, an Austin native, holds a 3.42 grade point average and is a marketing major in the prestigious McCombs School of Business. He is a three-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team honoree and a six-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll. Ehlinger earned his degree from The University of Texas this fall.
On the field, Ehlinger has completed 184-of-306 passes (60.1%) for 2,406 yards and 25 touchdowns to five interceptions this season. He has also rushed for 382 yards and eight touchdowns to tally 2,788 yards of total offense and 33 total touchdowns. The senior's 202 points responsible for are the third-most in the country this season, and he also ranks third in points responsible for per game (22.4) and eighth in passing touchdowns (25). Among Big 12 competitors this season, Ehlinger leads the conference in passing touchdowns (25), points responsible for (202), points responsible for per game (22.4) and total offense (309.8).
Ehlinger's 25 passing touchdowns are tied with his own 2019 tally for the seventh-most in school history. He also holds the No. 2 (32 TDs in 2018) mark on UT record. Ehlinger is only the fifth Big 12 quarterback over the last 20 years to throw at least 25 touchdowns in three consecutive seasons, and is the only Longhorn ever to achieve that feat. He has not thrown an interception in 123-straight attempts, dating back to the fourth quarter of an Oct. 24 win over Baylor in Austin. That ranks as the seventh-longest streak in school history, and the third-best of his career. Last time out, Ehlinger threw two touchdowns against Kansas State to bring his total to 93 for his career – tied with Texas Tech's Patrick Mahomes (2014-16) for the seventh-most in conference history.
Off the field, Ehlinger is extremely active in community service. Among many other efforts, he raised almost $200,000 for charities related to COVID-19 relief through online fundraising. He also contributed his time passing out meals and school materials at the Austin Boys & Girls Club. In 2020, he has already been named a National Scholar-Athlete and William V. Campbell Trophy finalist by the National Football Foundation, a finalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award, a semifinalist for the Wuerffel Trophy and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, a top-10 candidate for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, and to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
The Big 12 Conference established its Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award in 2012-13. A recipient is named in each conference-sponsored sport. Every Big 12 institution nominates one individual per sport with the winners selected by a vote of the league head coaches for that sport, who are not allowed to vote for their own student-athletes. Scholar-Athlete of the Year nominees must be a junior or senior (athletic or academic standing), have a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher, participate in at least 20 percent of the team's scheduled contests and have a minimum of one year residence at the institution.
