The Texas Longhorns will be starting Maalik Murphy at quarterback in place of the injured Quinn Ewers on Saturday against the BYU Cougars. Who is Murphy, and what does he bring to the table as a passer in Steve Sarkisian’s offense?
Who Is Maalik Murphy? Information on Texas’ Starting QB in Week 9
Ewers suffered a sprained right shoulder in the team’s Week 8 win over the Houston Cougars. He’s considered week-to-week but will be unavailable for the team’s Week 9 game against BYU.
In Ewers’ place, the Longhorns will start Murphy. Murphy has been the backup to Ewers for the entire season and came into the game in relief of Ewers when the latter went down last week.
Murphy was a four-star recruit and top-200 national talent at Junipero Cerra High School in Gardena, Calif. He signed with the Longhorns in the 2022 recruiting class.
Murphy didn’t play in 2022, redshirting behind Ewers and Hudson Card. Thus far in 2023, he’s only completed 4 of 8 passes for 47 yards. He saw his most action yet in relief of Ewers vs. Houston, completing 3 of 5 passes for 40 yards.
At 6’5″, 238 pounds, Murphy is a big-bodied signal-caller who was lauded out of high school for his size-adjusted evasive athleticism, arm strength, and touch down the field.
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Murphy still needs to iron out some mechanical issues, but he’s undoubtedly talented, and this stint in relief of Ewers will allow onlookers to get a closer look at his traits.
Murphy is only a redshirt freshman. Thus, he is not yet eligible for the 2024 NFL Draft. But if Ewers declares for the 2024 NFL Draft, this game could be an early introduction to Murphy’s status as an eligible prospect starting in 2025.
Arch Manning Will Back Up Murphy vs. BYU Cougars
While Murphy is set to start, true freshman Arch Manning will be active as Murphy’s backup. Manning was a five-star recruit in the 2023 class and is the nephew of NFL Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning.
Manning was one of the most heavily anticipated roster additions to the Longhorns this fall, with some wondering if he’d eventually earn starting reps over Ewers.
Even for Manning, a highly touted legacy recruit, there was going to be an acclimation period. But if Murphy were to go down with an injury or be pulled due to poor performance, Manning would see his first college football action.
No matter how much Manning plays in 2023, it’s expected that he’ll eventually take the reins for the Texas program. But if Murphy plays well and earns the long-term starting job once Ewers leaves, Manning could take the path Ewers did from Ohio State and transfer out.
Either way, the future of the Texas football program is in one of these two quarterbacks’ hands, and how they take advantage of the opportunities they’re given in 2023 could decide the battle between them.
