Gardena (California) Sierra quarterback Maalik Murphy committed to Texas moments ago and talked about why he is a Longhorn.
Murphy is currently ranked No. 30 nationally in the 247Sports Composite, as well as the second professional quarterback. Despite a strong group of signal callers in the state in Texas, Murphy was UT’s new technician Steve Sarkisian zeroed out and he took his man.
“Texas was the only school on my list that I couldn’t find a single negative about,” said Murphy. “Football is the most important thing in Texas. It is more than just a sport, it is a basic element of life and everyone is so passionate about it.
“Austin is a big city and when you’re the defender there, you have a chance to be the face of the show. I have never been to Texas, but my mom and dad yes, I have cousins there and I talked to many other people who said I would fit in very well. This is an incredible opportunity for me to play in such a historic program for a great coach and I couldn’t help but do so. “
New coach Steve Sarksian was a big reason why Murphy chose Texas.
“I think he is the perfect coach to prepare me for the next level,” said Murphy. “He’s a guy from Cali and someone I’m very comfortable with. I see what he has done in the past and how he develops defenders and I think he can help me achieve my goals, which are playing in the NFL. I love his attack and I think I fit in very well with what he wants to do in terms of layout.
“I can be a threat with my arm and legs, moving, throwing the ball to the field, but also involving running backs and balancing myself. Seeing him in Alabama and the way he used all those guns, I can’t wait to be part of something like that. “
Murphy said another big reason for choosing Texas was the chance to compete for a National Championship.
“I think Texas has everything in place to run,” said Murphy. “They can recruit nationally and I’m already seeing this with some of the guys I’ve been talking to. There are a lot of talents there in Texas, but they can go out and recruit players from all over the country and that is very exciting for me.
“Offensively, I know we are going to be big and I also like the new defensive coaches who are there. As I said, it was the only school that I couldn’t find a weakness or a negative point about. In some schools, I questioned whether they can win nationally, in other schools, I didn’t know if I would fit in well or feel comfortable with the weather. Texas is like California in many ways, so the comfort level is strong and so I know we can earn a lot too. “
Murphy always planned to pay a few visits before making a decision, but decided he was ready. He didn’t just commit himself on his birthday, he committed himself at 1:37 pm, the exact time he was born.
“Yes, I thought it would be fun to do,” said Murphy. “It was not an easy decision and I had some other excellent schools that I really liked. UCLA was my number 2 and I will always love them. This is my home, my mom works there and I really like them, but I just felt that Texas was the best option.
“I saw no need to postpone the decision when I knew Texas was the right move. I will be there later this month for a visit and I am looking forward to walking around campus and around the city and seeing all that the school has to offer. I’m already recruiting hard for Texas and I think we will have a very special recruiting class, it will be a lot of fun. “