Sam Ehlinger named to Wuerffel Trophy watch list
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger is among 114 players across the country named Thursday to the watch list for the Wuerffel Trophy, which is given annually to the college football player who best combines community service with academic and athletic achievement.
Ehlinger found his name on the list of nominees for the second consecutive season; he was a semifinalist for the award in 2019.
Ehlinger was one of several athletes who used his platform to raise funds — in his case, funds approached $200,000 — for charities related to COVID-19 relief through online fundraising, and he also passed out meals and school supplies at the Austin Boys & Girls Club. Academically, he is a two-time first-team Academic All-Big 12 honoree and now is enrolled in the McCombs School of Business.
Ehlinger leads all active Football Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks with 571 completions, 879 attempts, 6,955 passing yards, 8,100 yards of total offense and 80 total touchdowns since the start of the 2018 season. The only FBS quarterback to account for at least 50 rushing touchdowns and 20 rushing touchdowns over the last two years, he ranks second among active FBS quarterbacks during that time with 57 touchdown passes, and his 65.0 completion percentage is fifth-best among active FBS passers.
Ehlinger also is on the preseason watch list for the Davey O’Brien Award and was a preseason All-Big 12 selection for the second time in as many years. He earned third-team Preseason All-America and first-team All-Big 12 honors from Phil Steele.
