Jaylan Ford opens up on relationship with Maalik Murphy

Cats and dogs. Oil and water. Linebackers and quarterbacks. Despite the typical rivalry between the two positions, Texas linebacker Jaylan Ford has built an unlikely friendship with QB Maalik Murphy.

“Maalik is my locker mate. So, I’m sitting next to him all the time,” Ford told the press. “He’s a quarterback and I’m a mike backer. We know the ins and outs of offense and defense. Just being able to communicate with him or talk about the things that we see out there, or just things in life. Maalik is a great guy and I’m definitely happy to have him as a teammate.”

The line of scrimmage isn’t the only thing separating Ford and Murphy. Ford is a senior leader with 35 games under his belt, including 15 starts. Meanwhile, Murphy is a redshirt freshman, who is yet to see action at the collegiate level.

His lack of experience isn’t due to a lack of talent. Murphy was a four-star prospect and the No. 12 QB in the Class of 2022, per On3’s Industry Ratings. Murphy is a big fish in a shark tank. Texas’ quarterback room is one of the best in the country, boasting QB1 Quinn Ewers and standout freshman Arch Manning.

The unit is competitive, but not unfriendly. Ford believes Murphy is doing well in the heated race.

“Maalik is doing great,” Ford said. “They’ve all just done a good job of being teammates, wanting the best for all of them. He’s done a good job of getting out there. He gets better everyday. We know he has an arm. He just has to develop and learn, just like the rest of us. And he’s done a pretty good job of it. One thing about Maalik I love is his confidence and then his swagger. He goes out there and he has fun.”

Perhaps a little too much fun. Although Murphy doesn’t boast the same experience as Ford, he is still able to confuse the linebacker from time to time on the field.

“I make jokes about him and Quinn [Ewers] because they’re always trying to put me in a bind out there on the field,” Ford said. “They’re always trying to move me around and stuff. So, I’m always trying to pick their mind and see what they see out there. It will help me get better when we face opponents.”

If Ford improves at all this offseason, he’ll give opponents nightmares in the 2023 campaign. The 6-foot-3 linebacker had a breakout season last year, tallying 119 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, four interceptions, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

On Sept. 2, Ford and Murphy will hit the field in the Longhorns’ season opener against the Rice Owls.