Sam Ehlinger Selected to Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List

Senior QB Sam Ehlinger added to his list of preseason honors with recognition from the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.

Texas Football senior QB Sam Ehlinger was named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award preseason watch list on Tuesday. The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is presented annually to the top senior or upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with their class. Candidates are selected based on their performance both on and off the field.

Ehlinger, an Austin native, has started all 27 games for UT over the past two seasons and leads all active FBS quarterbacks in completions (571), attempts (879), passing yards (6,955), total offense (8,100) and total touchdowns (80) since the start of the 2018 season. He also ranks second among active FBS quarterbacks in touchdown passes (57) and fifth in completion percentage (65.0) during that stretch. Ehlinger is the only FBS player to account for at least 50 passing touchdowns and 20 rushing touchdowns over the last two seasons.

In 2019, Ehlinger accounted for 4,326 yards of total offense (3,663 pass/663 rush) – the second-most in school history (4,420 – Colt McCoy, 2008). He was also responsible for 39 total touchdowns (32 pass/7 rush), the No. 3 mark in UT history. That mark came after posting 41 total touchdowns in 2018, the second-best tally by a Longhorn all-time. He is the only player in Texas Football history to record multiple seasons with at least 35 total touchdowns.

Ehlinger threw for at least 200 yards in all 13 games last season, a UT single-season record. He was one of only four quarterbacks nationally to throw for at least 200 yards on 13 occasions, joining a group that featured Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow (LSU), Anthony Gordon (Washington State) and Cole McDonald (Hawaii). Ehlinger also rewrote Texas’ single-season benchmark for games with at least three passing touchdowns (7) and games with at least four passing touchdowns (4) last year.

Extremely active in community service, among many other efforts Ehlinger 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. An enrollee of the prestigious McCombs School of Business at UT, Ehlinger is a two-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team member.

In addition to being a Golden Arm Award candidate, Ehlinger has also been recognized on the Maxwell Award, Davey O’Brien Award, Manning Award and Wuerffel Trophy preseason watch lists and was a Preseason All-Big 12 selection for the second-straight year. He has also been named a third-team Preseason All-American and a first-team All-Big 12 Preseason selection by Phil Steele in 2020.

To learn more about the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award visit goldenarmfoundation.com.