Amidst Maalik Murphy’s decision to enter the transfer portal, it appears that Arch Manning is poised to become the Texas Longhorns’ quarterback of the future. ESPN.com’s college football insider Pete Thamel broke the news of Murphy’s portal entry, revealing that Murphy won’t be available for the College Football Playoffs. Murphy expressed his disappointment at not being able to support his team during this crucial phase of the season.
“I hate it, I hate it. I’m super invested in this team. Everything that we’ve done along the way and all the work we’ve put in together, it’s hard to walk away, especially at this point during the season,” Murphy conveyed.
He was quick to clarify that his decision was not a reflection on Texas.
“It’s nothing against Texas at all. I’m doing this purely for me and my future. In my eyes, I’ll always be a Longhorn and a part of this great team,” Murphy emphasized.
Maalik Murphy, a redshirt freshman quarterback, assumed the starting role after Texas’ star quarterback Quinn Ewers suffered a shoulder injury against Houston. Murphy had notable performances against BYU and Kansas State, throwing for 177 yards and two touchdowns against BYU and an impressive 248 yards and 1 touchdown against Kansas State.
With Murphy’s departure, the path is now open for Arch Manning to step in as the heir apparent once Quinn Ewers completes his tenure with the team. 247Sports reported Ewers’ inclination towards returning to the program rather than entering the NFL Draft. Manning’s future with the Longhorns appears solid regardless of Ewers’ decision.
“Based on everything we’ve heard, Arch is perfectly happy at Texas. I think the expectation is he will be back in 2024,” 247Sports reporter Chris Hemmer stated in early December. “The real question mark in the room is what happens with Quinn Ewers and what happens with Maalik Murphy. Matt’s reported it before, and a lot of us have been hearing similar things, about Quinn being likely to return to Texas in 2024. But you never know what happens during a College Football Playoff run. He just had the best game of his career, in the Big 12 Championship Game, and we’ll see how he plays during the stretch run for Texas. That could impact his decision.”
So now maybe the media can chill with the Arch Manning transfer lies. It’s now clear as ever that Arch is the future.
— University of Tampering (@Doc_Texas) December 13, 2023
College football script writers when Arch Manning comes in to beat Bama in the National Championship https://t.co/HzeRX59sWv pic.twitter.com/vF1nAy3bIB
— A-Train (@A_TrainRagas) December 13, 2023
Have we finally beat the Arch Manning transfer allegations?
— Barstool Longhorn (@UTBarstool) December 13, 2023
College football enthusiasts also weighed in on Maalik Murphy’s transfer portal decision and Arch Manning’s future with the Longhorns.
University of Tampering expressed, “So now maybe the media can chill with the Arch Manning transfer lies. It’s now clear as ever that Arch is the future.”
Barstool Longhorn tweeted, “Have we finally beat the Arch Manning transfer allegations?”
“For those asking questions about Arch Manning’s future @TexasFootball? Here’s your answer! He’s not going anywhere,” Fox Sports commentator Tim Brando affirmed.
With Arch Manning now in the backup quarterback role, it remains to be seen if he will see playing time as the team enters the College Football Playoff. The Longhorns are set to face Washington in the Sugar Bowl on January 1st at 8:45 PM, with the winner advancing to the National Championship against the victor of the Alabama/Michigan matchup in the Rose Bowl.