In tragic and sobering news to the world of football, Jake Ehlinger, linebacker for the Texas Longhorns, was recently found dead in Austin.

Police found him in the 1200 block of West 22nd Street, but did not elaborate on how they found him. They did state, however, that his death has not been considered suspicious.

Jake Ehlinger was the younger brother of the recently drafted Sam Ehlinger, Texas' quarterback, who was taken in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts. Over the draft weekend, a picture of Jake was accidentally placed in place of Sam's portrait, a fun moment between the close brothers.

Ehlinger was a talented student as well as athlete, and briefly considered playing in the Ivy League (UPenn heavily recruited him during a very strong senior season in high school) before deciding to follow in his brother's footsteps. The brothers' love for Texas football is deeply rooted in family tradition, stemming from their late father Ross, a Texas alum and diehard fan. Sam himself had stated that he felt like he was born to become Texas' quarterback at some point, doing the job well (he led the Longhorns to a Sugar Bowl victory and a top-10 finish).

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Unlike his older brother, Jake Ehlinger wasn't heavily recruited by any Power 5 team despite his strong senior season, but his ability to walk-on at Texas as well as the consideration given to him by the Ivy League denotes his talent both on and off the field.

More to come as this story unfolds — meanwhile, hearts and thoughts go out to the distressed Ehlinger family as they deal with this immeasurable tragedy.