'Definitely My Boys!' Ex Texas QB Maalik Murphy Keeping Close Eye on Longhorns in 2024

Murphy told the media at the ACC Kickoff about his plans to watch the Horns, and his ability to stay in touch with former teammates even at a new school.

Jul 24, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Maalik Murphy speaks to the media during the ACC Kickoff at Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

In the era of the college football transfer portal, the culture surrounding players who leave large schools can often become toxic.

When Caleb Williams left Oklahoma and followed head coach Lincoln Riley to USC, hate and backlash ran rampant on social media. Despite all of this, one of the hallmarks of the Steve Sarkisian regime has been his treatment of players, even those that eventually left the program, and that seems to have held true with former quarterback Maalik Murphy.

Murphy grew to be a fan favorite in his short two years with the Longhorns. Murphy was the first notable quarterback brought in by Sarkisian at Texas (no disrespect to former three star and current third-stringer Cole Lourd) after the initial decommitment of Quinn Ewers, leading many fans to believe the 6'5, 240-pound mammoth of a recruit was the future of Texas football.

Shortly after, however, Murphy was overtaken by some of the biggest names in college football. Ewers came back to the 40 acres, and a year later Arch Manning became the most notable recruit Texas had gotten since Vince Young.

But Murphy stayed strong, not leaving the Horns and earning himself a spot as a backup to Ewers in 2023. As a part of the eventual Big 12 champions and CFP contenders, Murphy was forced to come in for two starts while Ewers dealt with injury. Murphy, who entered the transfer portal before the team made it to New Orleans, ended his Texas career with a flawless 2-0 record, throwing for 477 yards and three touchdowns on 71 attempts.

With the presence of Manning looming behind him on the depth chart, Murphy made the tough decision to enter the portal. Because of the deadlines set in place by the NCAA, Murphy was not able to join the team in New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl. Despite all of this, Murphy told reports at the ACC Kickoff Event on Wednesday that he will continue rooting for the Longhorns and his friends, truly embracing the "Longhorn for Life" slogan.

“Definitely, definitely, definitely. I can’t wait,” Maalik Murphy said. “We have a lot of Friday games this year, so hopefully they don’t play on Fridays like we do and I’m able to watch them and follow them on Saturdays. So definitely my boys. There’s a couple of guys on the team I talk to every single day still. So I’m excited for them.”

Texas Longhorns quarterback Maalik Murphy celebrates head coach Steve Sarkisian aftre the win over the BYU Cougars at Royal-Memorial Stadium on Saturday October 28, 2023. / Jay Janner/American-Statesman / USA

Murphy added that he was still in touch with both Ewers and Manning and expects this year's team to continue on the momentum of 2023.

"If they do anything less than what we did last year I will be surprised,” Murphy said. “I feel like they’re on the right path. Coach Sark is doing a lot of good things… and I’m really excited to see what they can do this year.”

It sounds like Murphy will make the effort to tune in as much as possible, but in the meantime, he has yet another quarterback battle to win in Durham. Though Murphy was 247's sixth highest-rated quarterback transfer, sophomore Grayson Loftis is making sure the job isn't Murphy's just yet. The three-star played meaningful snaps in five games for the Blue Devils in 2023, filling in for the injured Riley Leonard, and notched over 1000 yards passing with eight touchdowns and four interceptions. Murphy is expected to be the starter, however, and a little competition has never scared away the former Longhorn.