2026 QB Quinn Murphy commits to Baylor: 'There is a new energy and vibe at Baylor'

Over 20 schools offered Quinn Murphy, but his feelings about Baylor are different. Oklahoma State gave him a lot to think about. Missouri and NC State were high on his list too, but the talented 2026 quarterback out of Austin Liberty Christian has committed to the Bears.

Dave Aranda‘s hiring of Jake Spavital to run the offense and coach the quarterbacks in Waco played a big role in this decision.

“Coach Spav coached at Texas A&M, West Virginia and California, and the day he got hired, I got on the phone with the staff and they told me I would be their guy,” Murphy told On3. “Coach Spav offered me within a few hours of him getting hired. They wanted me to lead this class and coach Spav made me a priority right away.

“He is a great coach with a lot of experience and he has recruited me to be their guy. I like him as a coach, how we have built a relationship and what I think he can do with me at Baylor.”

The way Spavital, Aranda and the Bears recruited Murphy made a big impact on the new commit.

“Being a priority 100% played a role in my decision. There is the NIL and other things that lead some kids to schools, but for me, my decision is for the love of football and I felt the love from Baylor. They wanted me, they were going to wait for me and throughout the process, they made me the top quarterback for them in my class. How they recruited me really made a difference with me.”

Murphy always had Baylor high on his list. They offered early in his sophomore year, but really had that feeling late in June. He took some time to make sure, but he has known he wanted to be a Bear for over a month.

Baylor has everything Murphy is looking for

Murphy has visited Baylor around 10 times. He has family ties to the school, he has friends there and he feels right at home in Waco.

“It is a great community, it a beautiful campus and there is no other college campus that I feel more at home at than Baylor,” Murphy said. “It is a great place with great people and it offers a great education.”

The feeling is different. Stillwater was nice. Columbia appealed to him as well. Waco just checks the boxes.

“I feel so comfortable and I know I will be coached by some great coaches at Baylor. Coach Spav has coached Geno Smith, Will Grier, Kyler Murray and he knows how to develop quarterbacks. The staff is doing great things with recruiting classes in 2025 and 2026 and the program is really going up.”

Aranda has momentum on the recruiting trail entering this season and Murphy sees that transitioning to the field in the coming years.

“Nobody has more momentum than Baylor right now. I can really feel the change. There is a new energy and vibe at Baylor. I firmly believe coach Aranda is going to take Baylor back to the top.”