College Football: Maalik Murphy Transfers to Duke

Image: Maalik Murphy, a former Texas quarterback, has committed to transfer to Duke, according to sources.

Body:
Former Texas quarterback Maalik Murphy has decided to transfer to Duke, as reported by Pete Thamel of ESPN. Murphy’s commitment is expected to be officially announced in the next 24 hours. The transfer comes as a significant boost for Duke and its first-year coach, Manny Diaz, as Murphy is considered one of the top quarterbacks in the NCAA transfer portal this offseason.

Murphy, a redshirt freshman, is a 6-foot-5, 238-pound player with high-end arm talent. He will be eligible to play immediately and has three seasons remaining. ESPN ranked Murphy as the No. 250 overall player in the class of 2022. His commitment to Duke makes him the highest-ranked quarterback and the sixth-highest overall player that the Duke football team has received since ESPN began ranking players in 2006.

During his time at Texas, Murphy started two games and threw for 477 yards and three touchdowns. He served as the primary backup to Quinn Ewers and was ahead of freshman Arch Manning. However, Murphy decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal on December 13, prioritizing opportunity at his next destination.

Murphy’s arrival at Duke coincides with the arrival of Manny Diaz, who previously served as the head coach at Miami. Diaz is expected to install a similar offense to the one run by SMU under Rhett Lashlee. Murphy spent time discussing the offense with Duke’s new offensive coordinator, Jonathan Brewer, who was the former SMU quarterback coach.

Before transferring to Duke, Murphy visited South Carolina and Oregon State. He is expected to enroll in January and compete for the starting quarterback position.