Byron Murphy says only Texas can stop itself this season

Texas defensive lineman Byron Murphy believes the Longhorns have what it takes to make 2023 a special season. With Texas picked to win the Big 12 for the first time since 2011, it seems the rest of the country agrees.

With fall camp kicking off this past week, Murphy spoke in front of media Friday and revealed his faith in the team to live up to that hype, echoing what coach Steve Sarkisian has preached all offseason.

“It’s (only) us that’s gonna stop ourselves,” he said. “We’ve got everything we need. We’ve got all the pieces. Offense and on the defensive side of the ball. So it’s really on us.”

For years, fans have heard the statement that Texas is “back,” but the Longhorns have so far yet to deliver. Since 2010, they’ve managed just one 10-win season and have failed to win a conference championship.

Still, the talent on this year’s roster has many believing a breakthrough is possible in coach Steve Sarkisian’s third season. Texas finished just 8-5 this past season but had a lead going into the fourth quarter in three out of those five losses. The Longhorns return 15 starters, including quarterback Quinn Ewers for his second season as well as his top two receivers Xavier Worthy and Jordan Whittington.

Defensively, Texas brings back Murphy, linebacker Jaylan Ford, tackle T’Vondre Sweat and defensive end Barryn Sorrell from a team that led the country in quarterback hurries a year ago. Murphy should be a leader among that group after finishing with 26 tackles (three for loss) and a sack in 2022.

All that talent certainly looks good on paper going into the season. But as we’ve seen in past years, the Longhorns will need to stay out of their own way if they ultimately hope to live up to the preseason expectations.

Texas kicks off the season on Sept. 2 against Rice before taking on Alabama in Week 2 in Tuscaloosa.

Steve Sarkisian: Texas is ‘on a mission’ in 2023

Murphy isn’t the only one who thinks Texas can live up to the expectations. Sarkisian also spoke on the matter at Big 12 Media Days, saying he’s seen a new mindset out of his players this offseason.

“I think this team is on a mission,” Sarkisian said. “They’ve taken this mindset of being on a mission. They’ve kind of adopted the John Wick mentality. I know Quinn (Ewers) has touched on and Jordan (Whittington) has touched on that they’ve really focused. And I think that’s probably the thing. They want to go do this, they want to be focused on the task at hand.”

At this point, the players have heard the jeers of opposing teams throughout their struggles over the recent years. Although there might still be many doubters out there, the Longhorns have opted to use that to fuel themselves heading into 2023.

“I think they’ve assumed this mentality of ‘Embrace the hate,’” Sarkisian said. “We get it, we’re the University of Texas. We get it, this is our last year in the Big 12. We can sit there and be a punching bag or we can go attack the people that we are going to play. I’ve think they’ve assumed that responsibility to say ‘we’re going to go after everybody else too.’

“I think that’s the right mentality to have.”