Quarterback Maalik Murphy, who drew attention when he filled in for an injured Quinn Ewers at Texas, is transferring to Duke, multiple outlets reported Saturday.
The 6-foot-5 Murphy has three seasons of eligibility remaining, and he’ll give new head coach Manny Diaz a key weapon on offense.
Duke’s 2023 starter, Riley Leonard, transferred to Notre Dame, giving the Blue Devils an opening for a starter.
Murphy entered the transfer portal earlier this month and told ESPN he was looking for a place to play immediately. While Ewers hasn’t confirmed he will return to Texas instead of entering the NFL draft in the spring, all signs point to Ewers staying.
His decision to enter the portal means Murphy will not be with the No. 3 Longhorns when they face No. 2 Washington in a College Football Playoff semifinal on New Year’s Day.
“I just want to be in a position where I can play,” Murphy told ESPN last week. “Where I can get a chance to play. I don’t want to be waiting around and see what happens or anything like that. I’d rather kick-start my career while I can.”
Murphy, who won his starts against BYU on Oct. 28 and then-No. 23 Kansas State on Nov. 4, completed 40 of 71 passes (56.3 percent) for 477 yards on the season. He threw three touchdown passes and was intercepted three times.
Murphy played at Junipero Serra High School in Gardena, Calif., before arriving at Texas. The 247Sports composite listed him as the No. 9 quarterback in the 2022 class, and as of Saturday has him listed as the No. 4 quarterback in the transfer portal and the No. 16 player in the portal regardless of position.
Duke finished the 2023 season with a 7-5 mark.
–Field Level Media