Jake Ehlinger died from accidental overdose, family says

AUSTIN, Texas - The family of University of Texas at Austin linebacker Jake Ehlinger say that he died due to an accidental overdose involving fentanyl.

The family released a statement Thursday saying that Ehlinger "was a victim of an accidental overdose of what was believed to be Xanax laced with toxic drugs including deadly Fentanyl."

20-year-old Ehlinger was found dead off campus in the 1200 block of West 22nd Street in Austin in May. At the time, Austin police said his death was not considered suspicious.

"The spread of counterfeit pills is an ongoing and significant issue throughout our country, particularly in schools, colleges, and universities," the statement reads. "As our family continues to process Jake’s death, we felt it was important to share these details with the hope that Jake will not have died in vain. We pray that sharing Jake’s story will help shed light on this problem and prevent other families from also tragically losing a loved one."

Ehlinger was the younger brother of former UT Austin quarterback Sam Ehlinger.

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Texas Longhorns linebacker Jake Ehlinger found dead off campus
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