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USATSI

Texas backup quarterback Maalik Murphy put on a show in the Longhorns' spring game, completing 9 of 13 pass attempts for 165 yards and one touchdown -- a 79-yard strike to five-star freshman wide receiver Johntay Cook. Despite the strong performance, Murphy finds himself sandwiched between a pair of former No. 1 overall recruits in starter Quinn Ewers and newcomer Arch Manning entering the 2023 season.

All of that led to some speculation he could take his talents to a program in need of a starting QB. Yet, the spring portal window closed on April 30 without Murphy's name in it. 

247Sports' Chris Hummer offered a little more insight into Murphy's decision to stay put. It also stoked speculation about programs using backchannels to recruit players not yet in the transfer portal as multiple teams from the SEC, Big Ten and Pac-12 reportedly made attempts to sway Murphy.

"Even before the spring game, there were people trying to reach out," a source close to Murphy told Hummer. "All the write-ups you end up seeing, everything is about Arch. You start seeing all that and you kind of forget about Maalik, and where are his opportunities? So, there were a lot of people trying to see if there was a chance to love him up a little bit." 

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian maintained throughout the spring that Ewers, who started his college career at Ohio State, is Texas' starter for 2023. 

Manning garnered all the attention as Ewers' primary competitor, given he is one of the most ballyhooed recruits of the modern era. But he looked like a true freshman in Texas' spring game, completing just 5 of 13 for 30 yards. 

For now, Murphy seems content to be Texas' No. 2 option, and he doesn't appear to be backing down from a head-to-head against Manning for the starting job in the future. 

"He likes to compete," the source told Hummer. "That's a big deal for him. He loves the school and the program, and I think he wants to give himself a legit shot to be healthy and show what he can do."