Is Maalik Murphy a senior? Texas QB's college and NFL draft eligibility explored

Maalik Murphy will get the start for the Texas Longhorns in place of an injured Quinn Ewers in Week 9. Head coach Steve Sarkisian discussed the decision to give Murphy the start over Arch Manning, the top-ranked overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, stating:

"Maalik’s going to start the game and go play in this game. I haven’t made a decision if I want to get Arch in there just to get him in there or not, but we have discussed that some because I do think there’s some valuable experience for him in that. But, I have to make that’s in the best interest of the team."

Sarkisian added that Murphy had his best practice as a member of the Longhorns on Thursday:

"I would say today was Maalik’s best practice since he’s been here. That’s a good thing for us that as the week has gone on, his game has elevated, his understanding of the gameplan has elevated, his comfort level managing all the things we do with the line of scrimmage has elevated, and I think his confidence is elevated because of it. He had a really good practice today." [h/t On3 Sports]

Maalik Murphy will lead the Longhorns as they host the BYU Cougars in their fifth game of Big 12 play this weekend. Texas is ranked seventh in the nation as they are 6-1 on the season and 3-1 in conference play. They will need to win out to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive. Meanwhile, the unranked Cougars are 5-2 in 2023, with a 2-2 conference record in their first season in the Big 12.

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How many years of college eligibility does Maalik Murphy have remaining?

Maalik Murphy joined the Texas Longhorns as a four-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class. Murphy redshirted his true freshman season as he was recovering from an ankle injury suffered in the state championship game in his senior year of high school. Following the 2023 season, he will have three years of college eligibility remaining.

Murphy will, however, be eligible for the 2025 NFL draft as he will be three years removed from high school. While he is the backup for the Longhorns, he will have a chance to display his talent in Week 9.

Furthermore, it is unclear how long Quinn Ewers will be sidelined, opening the door for more playing time for the redshirt freshman.