Steve Sarkisian addresses the progress of Maalik Murphy, his place in the QB room

Texas Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian spoke about how freshman quarterback Maalik Murphy has been progressing in his first year on campus.

A four-star recruit in the Class of 2022, Maalik Murphy has been largely overlooked. Star transfer Quinn Ewers was one of the best quarterback prospects in recent memory, and he has been in a quarterback battle with Hudson Card. With Arch Manning joining the Longhorns in 2023, there are a lot of big names to overshadow Murphy.

Still, Steve Sarkisian praised Maalik Murphy’s raw talent.

“It’s been a better start, you know, as I touched on,” Steve Sarkisian said. “Just missing the front end of Spring ball, missing the front end of Summer. I think It’s been a good start for him. You definitely see the talent and the skillset and the plays that definitely wow you. You know?”

The freshman has plenty to work on, of course. It starts with understanding the offensive system that Texas has on offense. That can be difficult for a freshman who is trying to build up his confidence.

“So, now it’s just really drilling down into the system to where he’s really comfortable for six, seven, eight, ten plays in a row. Not, kind of, two plays on, one play off. So, that’s what we’re working towards,” Steve Sarkisian concluded.

Where Maalik Murphy fits into the Texas QB room

Right now, Maalik Murphy is trying to stand out in a crowded quarterback room. Hudson Card has the most experience, while Quinn Ewers has the raw talent that is hard to ignore. Steve Sarkisian is deciding who to choose between those two, Murphy isn’t a part of the conversation.

“Execution, decision making, accuracy, leadership, body language. Understanding the special situations that arise in the scrimmage. Third downs, red area, two-minute drills,” Steve Sarkisian explained what he’s looking for from his quarterbacks.

For Murphy, it’s important to develop for the future. The problem is that the future includes Arch Manning, who is one of the most highly anticipated prospects college football has ever seen. That’s before you consider that Ewers and Murphy have the same amount of eligibility. He’s going to need to significantly develop to compete with that group.