Texas football: Sam Ehlinger, Shane Buechele still share a common bond

Former competitors, teammates still talk 'every week'

Not that long ago Shane Buechele and Sam Ehlinger were competing side-by-side at practice for game-time snaps. Now, they are in the process of dividing and conquering the college football world. 

Ehlinger - of course - took over as the full-time starter during the 2017 season and never looked back. Now in his junior campaign, Ehlinger is breaking passing records set by the likes of Colt McCoy. He's thrown for 1,237 yards and 15 touchdowns for a quarterback rating of 181. 

Shane Buechele stayed with the team last year in what head coach Thom Herman called an 'unselfish' move. He was called into action against Baylor last season and helped save the Longhorns' spot in the Big 12 Championship Game  

 Upon earning his undergrad degree, Buechele transferred from the Forty Acres this past offseason to join Sonny Dykes (a coach he beat as the UT quarterback back in 2016) at SMU. 

In just five short games he has brought the Mustangs back into the top 25, a place the program hadn't been since SMU received the NCAA's harshest possible sanction - a "death penalty" in 1987.  

Buechele has thrown for 1,385 yards and 10 touchdowns along the way, compling a quarterback rating of 158.2. 

Ehlinger and Buechele exchange text messages on a regular basis according to the Texas quarterback. 

"I told him that they better start building the statue of shame to show because he's done an incredible job (at SMU)," Ehlinger said. "I'm so happy for him. What an incredible dude."

Ehlinger said he and Buechelle exchange texts on a regular basis.

"(We) talk to each other about who we're playing what's going on, and encourage each other as it we're still with each other," Ehlinger said.