Texas Quarterback Makes Transfer Decision Before CFB Playoff

Former Texas Longhorns quarterback Maalik Murphy announced his commitment to transfer to Duke in a post shared on his Instagram account Saturday (December 23) morning.

"This time around I'ma make it clear. 106% Committed," Murphy wrote in the caption along with a graphic that included images of himself in a Duke uniform.

Murphy's announcement came 10 days after he initially revealed his decision to enter the NCAA transfer portal and nine days before the Longhorns face the Washington Huskies in the College Football Playoff Sugar Bowl semifinal on January 1, 2024.

"I hate it, I hate it," Murphy told ESPN earlier this month. "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, was 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 and next year's projected starter should Ewers forego his final season in August to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft. Manning, 18, who redshirted in 2023, was the consensus No. 1 prospect for the 2023 national recruiting cycle.