Maalik Murphy VS Quinn Ewers: Current and Former Texas QB Commits Battle At Elite 11 Finals

Current and former Texas Longhorns quarterback commits square off at the Elite 11 Finals in Los Angeles.

Matt Galatzan | Jul 1, 2021

LOS ANGELES - Before QB commit Maalik Murphy was the face of the 2022 Texas Longhorns recruiting class, Quinn Ewers was predicted to be the next great signal-caller to walk the 40 Acres.

However, just two months after his August 2020 commitment to former Texas head coach Tom Herman, Ewers abruptly de-committed from the program in October.

Ewers would eventually end up in the Big 10, pledging to the Ohio State Buckeyes that November.

Then, following another disappointing season in Austin, Tom Herman was fired, paving the way for Steve Sarkisian to take over the program.

Not long after Sarkisian's hiring, Murphy was committing to replace Ewers, and wear the burnt orange and white for the next 3-4 years -- becoming the new face of a 2022 Longhorns recruiting that is gaining steam with each passing week.

Fair or not, Murphy and Ewers will likely be connected and compared throughout their college careers as a result.

On Wednesday, the two blue-chip signal-callers took the field together for the first time at the Elite 11 Finals in Los Angeles, competing against one another in what was arguably the most publicized grouping in the event's opening day.

Murphy may not be as highly rated as Ewers, and he may not receive the same publicity or praise to which Ewers has become accustomed.

But for the physically imposing, 6-foot-5 225-pound gunslinger, that is no problem at all.

"It's all about competing at the end of the day," said Murphy. "You know, I know he's the number one guy in our class, the number one quarterback in our class, but you know, I don't really feel any pressure or think differently about myself just because of how highly rated he is, or that he was committed to Texas first."

Murphy may not be as highly rated as Ewers, and he may not receive the same publicity or praise to which Ewers has become accustomed.

All of those things can be settled on the field this week, and over the next three to four years.

Either way, Murphy does not want to get caught up in the narrative of himself vs. Ewers.

"None of that stuff matters. You know, on the field, I compete against him. Off the field, that's my boy. We have a good relationship. It's still building. This is only my second time seeing him in person, but you know, we're cool."

Instead, Murphy is embracing the competition. Not just against Ewers, but against the other top-tier 18 quarterbacks -- the vast majority of which are likewise committed top-level Power 5 programs.

And in typical Murphy fashion, he is enjoying every bit of it.

"I feel great. I'm in my element," Murphy said. "This is what I love the most, playing football. Throwing the football, this is what I live for."

What do you think of Murphy's chances at Elite 11? Comment and join in on the discussion below!

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Published Jul 1, 2021

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI and a long-time member of the Football Writer’s Association of America. He graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry in 2014 covering the Dallas Mavericks and SMU Mustangs with 247Sports. He then moved to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of the Longhorns and Aggies sites a year later. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan.