Austin Police say Texas LB Jake Ehlinger was found dead Thursday off campus

According to Austin Police officials, Texas Longhorns sophomore linebacker Jake Ehlinger was found dead on Thursday in West Campus, the Austin American-Statesman reported:

Police said they received a call at 12:18 p.m. and found Jake Ehlinger in 1200 block of West 22nd Street. Authorities did not specify how they found him but did say his death is not considered suspicious.

No cause of death or other details were released.

The younger brother of former Longhorns quarterback Sam Ehlinger, who was selected in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft on Saturday, Ehlinger opted to walk on at Texas in 2019 after turning down offers from Ivy League schools. Like his older brother, Ehlinger had a standout football career at Austin Westlake.

Ehlinger did not appear in any games during his two seasons at Texas. A business major, he was a two-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

Texas released the following statements:

Chris Del Conte:

“Our hearts are truly broken and we are just devastated today to learn of the passing of our Longhorn family member Jake Ehlinger. 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.”

Steve Sarkisian:

“We have an extremely heavy heart with the news of the passing of our beloved teammate, friend and Longhorn family member Jake Ehlinger. 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. This is a tragedy beyond measure, 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.”

This story will be updated as necessary.