Jake Ehlinger: ‘Being A Longhorn Meant Everything To Him’ - Texas Coach Sark

The University of Texas football program received devastating news on Thursday when linebacker Jake Ehlinger was found dead by Austin police.

The University of Texas football program received devastating news on Thursday when Longhorns linebacker Jake Ehlinger, younger brother of star quarterback Sam Ehlinger, was found dead, according to the Austin police department. 

The department received a call in regard to the incident at 12:18 p.m. Shortly after is when they found the younger Ehlinger on the 1200 block of West 22nd Street.

“Our hearts are truly broken and we are just devastated today to learn of the passing of our Longhorn family member Jake Ehlinger," Texas Athletic Director Chris Del Conte said in a statement. "Jake was an amazing young man from an extraordinary family with such a bright future ahead of him. It’s just such a tragedy that we are all really struggling with. 

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones and friends, especially the Ehlinger family and our entire football program. Jake’s family — Sam, Jena, and Morgen — are such vital parts of our Longhorn family, and we will be here to support them in any and every way we can during this very difficult time. 

"While the sense of pain and loss are deep, our focus at this time is on providing support to Jake’s family, our football student-athletes, coaches and staff, and everyone so greatly impacted by this in our athletics department. We have resources in place and grief counseling available as we help support everyone in our program. With that said, we sincerely hope that everyone will respect their privacy as we deal with this devastating news."

The police department, as first noted by the Austin American-Statesman, did not list a cause of death, or any details on the incident, but did say his death was not considered suspicious.

Like his older brother, Sam, Jake attended Austin Westlake High School in Austin, Texas. 

Jake was enrolled at the McCombs School of Business at Texas, one of the most prestigious business schools in the country. 

“We have an extremely heavy heart with the news of the passing of our beloved teammate, friend, and Longhorn family member Jake Ehlinger," Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said in a statement. "Words cannot express the depth of our sadness and the huge void we are feeling, but above all else, our hearts pour out to Sam, Jena, Morgen, and the entire Ehlinger family. 

"Jake was a tremendous person and was everything you could ask for in a student-athlete. Being a Longhorn meant everything to him, and he truly embodied all that it means to be one. In the short time we were able to get to know him, he always was a joy to be around and gave everything he had in workouts, meetings, practice, and in life. 

Ehlinger chose to walk on to the Longhorns program in 2019, despite receiving an offer for a scholarship from the University of Pennsylvania. He was a two-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll in the fall of 2019 and the spring of 2020.

The younger Ehlinger did not play during his two seasons with the Longhorns. 

"This is a tragedy beyond measure,'' Sarkisian said, "and as I told the team today, in a time like this all we can do is open our hearts, pull together, and do our best to provide love and support to each other, especially to the Ehlinger family.”