Texas Quarterback Enters Transfer Portal Before CFB Playoff

Texas Longhorns quarterback Maalik Murphy announced he's entering the NCAA transfer portal on Wednesday (December 13) via ESPN.

Murphy, 19, confirmed that he will not be with the Longhorns during the upcoming College Football Playoff, which he said was a difficult decision.

"I hate it, I hate it," Murphy told ESPN. "I'm super invested in this team. Everything that we've done along the way and all the work we've put in together. It's hard to walk away, especially at this point during the season."

Murphy, a former four-star prospect for the 2022 national recruiting cycle, is expected to be one of the most sought after quarterback transfer prospects in the NCAA portal and will be a redshirt freshman with three seasons of eligibility remaining, including the upcoming 2024 season. The 19-year-old made two starts for the Longhorns when Quinn Ewers was dealing with a shoulder injury this season, throwing for 477 yards and three touchdowns.

Murphy's decision will make top freshman prospect Arch Manning -- the son of Cooper Manning, nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning and grandson of Archie Manning -- Texas' backup for the College Football Playoff. Manning, 18, who redshirted in 2023, was the consensus No. 1 prospect for the 2023 national recruiting cycle.