Sam Ehlinger says Texas is ‘extremely confident’

Time will tell if Texas is finally "back" this coming season, but quarterback Sam Ehlinger believes the Longhorns are ready to put themselves into national prominence again.

"We're extremely confident in where we're at as a program right now," Ehlinger told reporters after a recent practice. "We're going to do everything in our power to be the best that we can be. And the best we can be will be a lot of fun."

Last season, the Longhorns improved off a 7-6 record in Tom Herman's first outing as head coach, going 10-4 overall in 2018, including a victory over Oklahoma.

Ehlinger and his 41 total touchdowns played a major role in that resurgence, and now the Austin native finds himself on a short-list of Heisman Trophy candidates going into the 2019 season.

He became the sixth Power 5 quarterback in the last 20 years to pass for at least 25 touchdowns and run for at least 15 more in the same season, helping lead Texas to a Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia.

Texas will have several chances to prove that they're back in the next few months, especially in their early-season matchup against LSU in Week 2.