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247 West Coast guy Greg Biggins on Maalik Murphy
Recruiting: Murphy looked like a solid UCLA lean but things changed quick when Steve Sarkisian took over at Texas. The Horns has been involved with Murphy on and off over the last year but looked out of the running when Quinn Ewers committed to Texas. A week after Ewers de-committed, Texas jumped back in play with Murphy and then really went in once Sarkisian took over. Despite a deep and talented year for in-state quarterbacks in the Lone Star State, Murphy was the one Sarkisian prioritized and he went all in. A few other schools like Oregon, Rutgers and LSU were involved as well but Murphy decided to make a birthday commitment and chose the Horns earlier today.
What to Like: Murphy has all the physical tools you could want in a next level quarterback. He’s a big strong kid who can move around but is most comfortable siting in the pocket. He has arguably the biggest arm in the ’22 class and makes it look effortless. He doesn’t need a big windup to get the ball down the field and has worked hard on tightening his release and getting the ball out quicker over the last year. He’s a smart kid who understands when to take something off and change speeds when he needs to. He doesn’t try and over throw but is more about completing passes and has also improved in his ability to throw on-time with anticipation. He’s mobile enough to buy time in the pocket and will take off and run when necessary although we wouldn’t call him a dual-threat quarterback, more someone who can run when he needs to. He’s a natural leader, someone who has always been a great teammate and a future captain. He’s already hitting the recruiting trail and will be an active recruiter and should have a lot of influence both nationally and in California. He needs game reps for sure and not having a season this year in California hurt his development but if he maximizes his potential and hits his ceiling, there is no doubt he’s a high round NFL Draft pick someday.
Areas to improve: As mentioned, the biggest thing he needs is game reps. Murphy split time as a sophomore and then suffered a late shoulder injury. His junior year was set to be his breakout season but football was shut down in the fall in California. Murphy has yet to really show what he can do with the pads on so there’s always a slight risk there. When you look at the talent in the state of Texas this year at the quarterback position, there will definitely be some second guessing of Sarkisian if Murphy isn’t a home run. I think it’s a risk worth taking, he’s a very talented kid, a high character person with a great off the field work ethic and his upside is hard to pass on.
Overall Analysis: This one will be a lot of fun to watch over the coming years. Sarkisian chose Murphy, a player from out of state with limited game reps over some of the talented in-state signal callers. The hope is Murphy reaches his huge ceiling and if he does, he's a 1st day NFL Draft pick, he has that kind of upside. He's a pure thrower who makes it looks easy. We want to see him in game action with a defense coming after him. The great quarterbacks are the ones who can make the game slow down, go through progressions and make quick decisions and that only happens with live bullets coming at you. There's a small chance there could be a five-game season in California in March this year but if not, Murphy's senior year will need to be a big one for him where he can hopefully take some strides and become comfortable at the position. He won't need to play right away and a red-shirt year will be a good thing for him and allow him more time to learn and get up to speed.
What to Like: Murphy has all the physical tools you could want in a next level quarterback. He’s a big strong kid who can move around but is most comfortable siting in the pocket. He has arguably the biggest arm in the ’22 class and makes it look effortless. He doesn’t need a big windup to get the ball down the field and has worked hard on tightening his release and getting the ball out quicker over the last year. He’s a smart kid who understands when to take something off and change speeds when he needs to. He doesn’t try and over throw but is more about completing passes and has also improved in his ability to throw on-time with anticipation. He’s mobile enough to buy time in the pocket and will take off and run when necessary although we wouldn’t call him a dual-threat quarterback, more someone who can run when he needs to. He’s a natural leader, someone who has always been a great teammate and a future captain. He’s already hitting the recruiting trail and will be an active recruiter and should have a lot of influence both nationally and in California. He needs game reps for sure and not having a season this year in California hurt his development but if he maximizes his potential and hits his ceiling, there is no doubt he’s a high round NFL Draft pick someday.
Areas to improve: As mentioned, the biggest thing he needs is game reps. Murphy split time as a sophomore and then suffered a late shoulder injury. His junior year was set to be his breakout season but football was shut down in the fall in California. Murphy has yet to really show what he can do with the pads on so there’s always a slight risk there. When you look at the talent in the state of Texas this year at the quarterback position, there will definitely be some second guessing of Sarkisian if Murphy isn’t a home run. I think it’s a risk worth taking, he’s a very talented kid, a high character person with a great off the field work ethic and his upside is hard to pass on.
Overall Analysis: This one will be a lot of fun to watch over the coming years. Sarkisian chose Murphy, a player from out of state with limited game reps over some of the talented in-state signal callers. The hope is Murphy reaches his huge ceiling and if he does, he's a 1st day NFL Draft pick, he has that kind of upside. He's a pure thrower who makes it looks easy. We want to see him in game action with a defense coming after him. The great quarterbacks are the ones who can make the game slow down, go through progressions and make quick decisions and that only happens with live bullets coming at you. There's a small chance there could be a five-game season in California in March this year but if not, Murphy's senior year will need to be a big one for him where he can hopefully take some strides and become comfortable at the position. He won't need to play right away and a red-shirt year will be a good thing for him and allow him more time to learn and get up to speed.
