With quarterback Quinn Ewers out due to injury, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian announced Thursday who will start under center for Saturday’s home game against BYU.
Sarkisian declared redshirt freshman Maalik Murphy will take the reins as QB1 for the first time in his career when the No. 7 Longhorns (6–1) take the field against the Cougars (5–2). The announcement comes days after Sarkisian fueled speculation by telling reporters that both Murphy and acclaimed freshman Arch Manning would see “a ton of reps” with the first-team offense in practice this week.
Given Sarkisian’s decision, it appears Murphy, who missed last season due to an ankle injury, will be on track to lead the Longhorns for the foreseeable future after serving as Ewers’s primary backup since the season began.
In last Saturday’s win over Houston, Murphy saw limited action in the 31–24 win after Ewers went down in the third quarter with a right shoulder injury.
Ewers’s injury was later diagnosed as an AC joint sprain that will sideline him for several weeks. Kickoff for Saturday’s Cougars-Longhorns game is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET in Austin, and the game will be televised on ABC.
