Texas Longhorns Believe Maalik Murphy Is 'Ready' For QB Limelight

Maalik Murphy may or may not be the starter on Saturday against the BYU Cougars. Either way, the Texas Longhorns players believe he is ready for the challenge.

AUSTIN, TX -- The Texas Longhorns haven't made it official yet, but Maalik Murphy is the odds of favorite be the starting quarterback this Saturday against the BYU Cougars.

And Murphy is primarily known for one thing - his arm strength. 

"He’s got a rocket arm," star wideout Xavier Worthy said this week.

It is that arm - along with his 6-foot-5, 240-pound frame - that makes Murphy such a different quarterback than the 6-foot-2, 195-pound Quinn Ewers.

And it makes one wonder how much different the Longhorns offense could look with Murphy under center. 

"His size allows him to get the ball out there. He likes to zip it. They like to throw a little bit differently," Longhorns defensive back Jahdae Barron said. "(Ewers) has a touch, Maalik is kind of a fastball person. Y’all will see, he has a lot of power. He’s a strong, athletic kid.”

However, there are also other traits Murphy possesses that should - by all accounts - work to his advantage on Saturday. 

His mental toughness and his work ethic. 

Both of which have made his teammates extremely confident in his ability to lead the team while Ewers is sidelined with his shoulder injury. 

Texas Longhorns quarterback Maalik Murphy (6) motions during the third quarter against the Houston Cougars at TDECU Stadium / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

“We practice for these moments, and I feel like he’s ready for the moment," star running back Jonathon Brooks said. "He practices week in and week out like the starter. He’s the first one in the facility, last one out. He does all the extra work, and I think he’s mentally ready for it.”

“He knows the offense just like Quinn does. He can make throws Quinn makes. We are making sure we instill confidence in him, letting him know he can get the job done, and that we’ll be there to back him up.”

Murphy is confident in his ability to lead the team as well. 

Despite not getting a flurry of reps throughout the regular season, Murphy has continued to carry himself with the confidence of a seasoned veteran. 

And that is something that his teammates not only recognize but latch onto, which is critical heading into their first matchup without Ewers taking the starting snaps. 

"Maalik is always the same Maalik," Worthy said. "Maalik has always been ready for the role, just in case anything happened. Now that it happened, I feel like he’s ready for that role... He’s just a confident person. I feel like he just has that confidence regardless of what’s going on. I feel like he’s just going to do what he needs to do and execute at a high level.”

Murphy and the Horns will take the field at 2:30 on Saturday against the Cougars. Likely, with Murphy as the starter.