Quinn Ewers is the current quarterback for the Texas Longhorns, while Arch Manning appears to be the Longhorns’ future starting quarterback. So, how does this affect Maalik Murphy’s stay on the Forty Acres? Murphy, who elected to stay for another season despite being courted by other colleges with NIL checks, will have to examine himself in the coming weeks. Even if he’s committed to the Longhorns for the rest of the 2023 season, his time with the program is coming to an end.
Countless quarterbacks have walked in his shoes. Dozens of second-team passers are going through the same mental process as they realize that advancing up the depth chart may mean shifting locations.
Murphy is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Ewers, who is available for the draft in April, appears to want to run it back with Steve Sarkisian when Texas enters the SEC in 2024. Manning, the previous No. 1 QB recruit in 2022, has no plans to relocate as long as Sarkisian is in charge. If Ewers stays, he’ll have to keep Manning at bay until the start of fall camp. If he puts up comparable — or perhaps better — stats in the SEC, he’ll almost certainly be a first-round pick in 2025. Manning will also have two years of mental reps under his belt in Sarkisian’s personnel, so the transition should be seamless.
What? Do you believe physical reps won’t come naturally to the nephew of two Hall of Fame quarterbacks?
Murphy is far from a flawless player, but he has potential. The cannon linked to his shoulder, which he refers to as an arm, contains a wealth of untapped potential. Longhorn Nation witnessed glimpses of what could have been if Ewers had been out for the rest of the season after sustaining a hit against Houston.
Murphy completed a season-high 64 percent of his passes for two touchdowns against BYU. He guided Texas to six scoring drives against Kansas State, including a 37-yard touchdown pass to Adonai Mitchell in the first quarter. Yes, Murphy threw three interceptions, one of which led to K-State mounting a comeback to force overtime, but it’s evident the kid has talent. Sarkisian has paid attention.
Other coaches on the outside are waiting for Murphy to make a decision on his future before offering him a scholarship and maybe a good amount of NIL money.
They can also provide Murphy with something Sarkisian cannot right now: exclusive first-team reps and the opportunity to head a program. Murphy can only prove his worth to those at the next level if he gets reps, which are sparse in Austin. And no, it’s not just for the moment. Fans are already eager for the “Arch Era” to begin, thus Murphy’s days of holding the clipboard at DKR appear to be numbered. If he remains.
Murphy, like others, is unlikely to leave before the Sugar Bowl versus No. 2 Washington. He’s one nasty hit against Ewers away from putting on the helmet and playing. Even if Manning is the future, Sarkisian needs someone who can run the offense the way he wants it if Texas wants to extend its season by a week for a road trip to Houston.
Murphy’s future with the Horns is unlikely to be determined by Ewers’ choice. He’ll have to come to terms with himself and decide what’s best for his future. Sarkisian applauded Murphy’s dedication to the program. He’s been all Texas could have wanted in a quality quarterback2.
T’Vondre Sweat, Byron Murphy, and Xavier Worthy are all related.
Appointed as AP All-Americans Maybe he’ll stay around to compete for QB1 in 2024. Perhaps he is the reason Texas perseveres through an SEC juggernaut schedule and travels to Atlanta in December. However, loyalty can only go you so far. Proven output can sometimes propel one forward.
