Maalik Murphy NFL draft projection: Where could Texas QB land in 2025? Draft stock explored

Maalik Murphy is set to get the first start of his college career when the Texas Longhorns host the BYU Cougars in Week 9.

Murphy, who joined the Longhorns as a four-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class, will not be draft-eligible until the 2025 NFL draft.

He does, however, have three years of college eligibility available after redshirting his true freshman season.

Maalik Murphy NFL Draft Projection

While there is a chance that Murphy will enter the 2025 NFL draft, it is unclear where his stock will be. He has attempted just eight passes in his college career thus far and will return to a backup role when Quinn Ewers returns from his injury to his throwing shoulder.

Furthermore, Arch Manning, the top-ranked overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, is waiting in the wings and will presumably assume the starting role next season. Where that leaves Murphy is unclear.

However, despite the presence of Ewers and Manning on the roster, the redshirt freshman turned down the chance to transfer after thriving in the Longhorns spring game.

Ewers has been ruled out in Week 9 and could be out for longer, as Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian described him as week-to-week. His absence will give Maalik Murphy an opportunity to put his talent on display and potentially earn a starting role in 2024, whether for the Longhorns or elsewhere.

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What did Steve Sarkisian say about Maalik Murphy?

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian shared that Maalik Murphy will start against the BYU Cougars on Thursday.

"Maalik’s going to start the game and go play in this game," Sarkisian said. "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."

He added that the redshirt freshman is coming off of his best practice since joining the program:

"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 look to keep the No.7-ranked Longhorns College Football Playoff chances alive. Texas is 6-1 on the season, and there has never been a two-loss team to reach the postseason in the nine years under the current format.