Sam Ehlinger Bypassing 2020 NFL Draft, Returns to Texas

Texas QB Sam Ehlinger is returning to the Longhorns for his senior season.

Texas is back—or at least its starting quarterback Sam Ehlinger is. 

On Monday night, the Longhorns' signal-caller took to social media and announced his decision to bypass the 2020 NFL draft and return to school for his senior season. 

Dear Longhorn Nation... pic.twitter.com/D20n5TE883

— Sam Ehlinger (@sehlinger3) January 7, 2020

"It's been an amazing journey," Ehlinger's video announcement notes. "One more year. Chapter 4."

Ehlinger, who received an evaluation from the College Advisory Committee, said before Texas' appearance in the Alamo Bowl that he hadn't thought about entering the NFL heading into this season. 

"I didn’t really even think about it. I wasn’t considering that at all. So I just feel extremely blessed that’s even a question that’s being talked about," he said.

Head coach Tom Herman added before Texas's bowl game that he “absolutely” expected Ehlinger to return to school. 

"He’s already gotten those results back, yeah,” Herman said. “But I do think he’s got a tremendous future at the next level. Again, I’ll say it as many times as I need to—he sees the game as good as any I’ve coached. Having coached some really good quarterbacks in my day, that’s certainly no slight on them, it’s a testimony to him and his intelligence, his toughness. That’s going to go a long way at the next level.”

Last week, Ehlinger took home offensive MVP honors in Texas's 38–10 bowl victory over Utah. He finished the game completing 12 of 18 passing attempts for 201 yards and three touchdowns, while also knifing through the Utes defense for 73 rushing yards and another score.

In 2019, Ehlinger recorded the second most passing yards in a single-season in Texas history, throwing for 3,663 yards. His 8,870 three-year career passing yards total also ranks second behind Colt McCoy's four-year total.

The Longhorns finished the 2019 season with an 8–5 record and, according to 247Sports, have the No. 10 recruiting class of 2020 coming into Austin.