With Maalik Murphy gone, may the Longhorns be vulnerable in the Sugar Bowl?
Maalik Murphy’s departure from Texas places the Longhorns in a potentially perilous situation.
Maalik Murphy remained as long as he could. There’s nothing he’d rather do than sit on the sidelines of the Ceasers Superdome with a clipboard in hand.
College football is not that kind. Coaches are not granting scholarships to transfers expecting to start next fall.
Murphy, who played two seasons for the Texas Longhorns, confirmed Thursday evening that he has entered the transfer portal and would not be eligible for the College Football Playoff semifinal versus No. 2 Washington on January 1. The 30-day transfer portal window closed following the national title, therefore timing was key.
“It’s nothing against Texas at all,” Murphy said on Wednesday. “I’m doing this completely for me and my future. In my view, I will always be a Longhorn and a member of this fantastic team.”
Call it whatever you want: sorrowful, harsh, frigid, or frightening. Murphy never walked away from having it all. He could either hang around through the spring and be late to the celebration at his new house, or he could secure the starting job moving into the summer with a few more reps.
Now, the Longhorns must decide what is best in the event of injury. The goal is that Quinn Ewers survives eight more quarters, making this a moot point.
But supposing it doesn’t? Say Texas loses Ewers again, forcing Steve Sarkisian to look elsewhere. Will he call on Arch Manning, the future of Longhorn football?
Could he turn to Charles Wright, a former walk-on who had fewer than a dozen reps?
Murphy’s passing may bring back memories of 2009. Everyone remembers that time, correct? You know, where Colt McCoy left during the first quarter and handed over the offense to true freshman Garrett Gilbert?
Ewers and McCoy sound the same, right?
The Longhorns are one hit away from bringing out Manning and seeing what the future holds. If he impresses, Texas will enter a new era in the SEC with two potentially good starters.
If he stumbles, is this Gilbert 2.0? Everyone knows how his stay in Austin ended, right? It may even happen against the same squad Gilbert faced if Alabama defeats Michigan in California.
Yes, Wright is on the team, but he is Sarkisian’s last resort. Manning took over against Texas Tech and produced little. Still, he represents Texas’ future, so the more repetitions the better.
Murphy’s departure might also be a problem for depth in 2024. Ewers has yet to make a decision on his NFL draft status, and will not do so until after the postseason.
If Ewers returns to the Forty Acres, Murphy will only leave him with regrets for losing his personality. Meanwhile, the Longhorns would have one of college football’s most seasoned quarterbacks and a leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy.
If Ewers leaves for his next chapter in life, Manning, the nation’s top recruit in the 2023 class, would enter spring practices as the presumed starter, with little to no depth behind him.
