There is no shortage of potential college talent in the Austin-area, but the class of the city may reside at Westlake High School in the form of junior quarterback Sam Ehlinger.
The Texas Longhorn commit saw his stock rise exponentially this summer at camps and at the State 7-on-7 Tournament when he led his team to a championship. An offer from the Longhorns came in July and he wasted little time verbally committing to his home-town team.
“Been a Longhorn since day one, I’m truly blessed so say I am committed to the University of Texas,” he said on Twitter when announcing his commitment in late July.
In 2014, Ehlinger arrived on the scene as a sophomore, earning District 14-6A Newcomer of the Year honors after throwing for 2,325 yards and 25 touchdowns to just six interceptions. His 64 percent completion rate is exactly what coaches are looking for in a young quarterback. He shows poise in the pocket, has tremendous accuracy and can even run. He totaled 714 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground in 2014.
He’s off to a tremendous start again as a junior, and he’s likely to see his stock rise even more. Rivals.com lists Ehlinger as a three-star prospect, that’ll change the next time the rankings are released. The only knock on the Westlake star is his size. He stands at 6-foot-1, 207 pounds, which isn’t ideal for a prototypical passer, but we’ve seen shorter quarterback have success in recent years.
Ehlinger isn’t the only Westlake player receiving college attention, though, even if he is the headliner. Defensive back Max Mangum is a 6-foot, 180-pounder committed to Harvard and wide receiver Reed Klubnik is a two-star prospect likely to put up huge numbers in 2015. Both of those players are seniors.
The Chaparrals also have no shortage of talent in the junior class that includes Ehlinger. Linebackers Hayden Bohlmann and Levi Jones possess the size and speed to play at the FBS level, especially Jones who stands at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds. Running back Tony Washington and defensive tackle Stephan Zabie are also in the mix for FBS offers.
All of this talent has Westlake poised to challenge Lake Travis for a district crown and make a run in the state playoffs. Head coach Todd Dodge brings a tremendous amount of success and experience to a program that hadn’t reached its standards over the past few years. That’s all changed and Westlake is once again one of the top dogs in the area.
